


Time waits for no one

by CelticSaemi



Category: Secret of Kells (2009)
Genre: "What If", Family Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Platonic Romance, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-20
Updated: 2016-09-16
Packaged: 2018-03-18 18:45:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 28,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3580038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelticSaemi/pseuds/CelticSaemi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Brendan's fight against Crom Cruach lasted only minutes for him, but outside the cave, two days passed. </p>
<p>How did Aidan, Cellach and everyone else react to Brendan vanishing?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The lapse

**Author's Note:**

> My first fanfiction for "The Secret of Kells", I hope you will enjoy it^^.
> 
> Thanks to WhiteFangKakashi300 on DeviantArt for her inspiring works, and correcting my mistakes!
> 
> Like the movie, there are no real "pairing", but I tried to write it open so some relationships can be read as romance (like Bree and Cellach, or Aisling and Brendan).

Brendan’s heart leapt when his torch went out. His mind reeled, afraid of the darkness, until a cracking sound echoed.

A blue light glowed beneath his feet as the ground split in two, making the earth tremble, and before the boy knew it, he was falling into an unknown world.

\--------------------------------------------------------

The Abbot felt strange as he woke up that morning. He sat up and held his head with one hand, trying to get himself together but he could not shake this odd feeling.  
He could have sworn he had felt the earth shaking in the night… And a voice, there was a voice he could still hear in his memory. But it was unfamiliar. And the words he recalled did not make any sense.

“Just a dream.” he thought and got up, putting these thoughts at the back of his mind.

He had a lot of work to do, yet his steps slowed down when he walked next to the trap door. Cellach stopped for a moment, staring at it. He wanted to check on his nephew, see if the boy was still sleeping, if he was fine. But he went ahead, swallowing down his guilt and worry.

Later in the morning, Brother Tang came to him, bringing him his breakfast.

“Take it to Brendan.” he declined. “See if…”

(“…he’s alright.” )

“See if he comes to his senses.”

\----------------------------------------------------------

“Old fools… old fools should learn to keep quiet.” Aidan muttered again, still staring at the flames.

He didn’t realize that he had been staying like that for almost two hours, too lost in his own thoughts.

The illuminator felt crushed under the weights of the years, his guilt towards the boy and the horrifying memories of the Vikings attacking Iona. He tried to remain focused on happier thoughts, to see the bright sides of things as he used to do, but now it was too hard. Brendan was locked in the tower because of him, the poor lad…

The sound of the door opening made him turn around. Brother Tang peeked inside, looking concerned.

“Brother Aidan?” he called almost timidly, entering the scriptorium. “Is Brendan with you?”

“Brendan?” he repeated, confused. “No, the Abbot locked him in the tower.”

“I know but…” the older man put the plate he was holding on a desk. “…he is not in his cell.”

Aidan’s eyes widened.

“I have no idea how he escaped.” added Tang. “But I believed that, however he did it, he would go to you, to the Scriptorium.”

“Are you sure he was not in his cell?”

When Tang nodded, Aidan’s heart clenched with worry. Where did the boy go? He thought hard, trying to understand, to have an idea of where Brendan went. Then, he flinched.

Did Brendan go to the forest? At night?

The lad told him he had a friend inside the forest, he knew the name “Crom Cruach” before Aidan revealed it to him (he heard him whispering it), and he really wanted to continue his training.

Everything was confusing, he didn’t know if that made sense but he had to try and find him.

Aidan looked back at Tang and told him to look everywhere in Kells, to ask their brothers’ help to do so, but certainly not the Abbot. The boy might already be in trouble at the moment, he didn’t need to have more with his uncle.

They splited up once outside. Aidan went to the gates. Fortunately, someone was there with a key and opened it when he asked. He stood still a moment, then took a deep breath and walked towards the forest.

\---------------------------------------------------------------

Brendan didn’t know how long, nor how deep he had been falling until his body floated in this strange realm. He rushed to a side as something arrived, almost hitting him in the way.

No sound could be heard.

The boy looked around, scared and fascinated by his surroundings. Remembering his goal –finding and bringing the Eye back to Kells- he looked at his hand. The drawing were still printed on his skin. The ink glowed and he looked up.

Crom was in front of him.

\----------------------------------------------------------

The day was almost over, the sun would set soon. Cellach rubbed one of his shoulder, soothing the ache. He looked around with another tired sigh, so much to be done, and he had no idea if time would be on their side.

Then he frowned slightly, realizing something. Where were the Brothers? He had not seen one in an hour! Annoyance raised inside him as he noticed none of them were working on the wall, and he decided to go and look for them.

They were gathered at the steps of the tower, whispering agitatedly and sometimes flailing their arms. The Abbot raised an eyebrow and walked silently towards them. As he drew closer, he could hear all of them speaking at the same time, but he made out some of their sentences.

“How is it even possible?” questioned Brother Assoua.

“Brother Aidan did not come back yet.” Brother Square informed.

“What should we do?” stammered Brother Leonardo. “Should we tell the Abbot?”

Cellach frowned, wondering what this was all about. He was reaching the group when the Brother from Africa snapped.

“Yeah, sure go ahead!! What are you going to tell him?!” he raised his arms in the air. “Abbot, Brendan is gone!?”

Brother Friedrich turned his head to his right at that precise moment and gasped, getting the attention of the other Brothers. Assoua put a hand over his mouth, paling, while the others were petrified at the sight of the Abbot.

He was frozen, staring wide-eyed at them.

“Brendan is gone?” he repeated when he found his voice.

Although his face remained calm, his mind was in a haze. Contradictory emotions and thoughts battled inside of his head for about a minute before Cellach came back to his senses.

“When did that happen?” he demanded.

The monks exchanged concerned and guilty looks. Tang was the one who spoke up.

“Brendan was not in his cell this morning.” he revealed.

Cellach’s heart stopped beating for a second, confusion, fear and worry clawing in his chest. He immediately glanced at the Scriptorium, but Tang continued.

“He is nowhere in Kells.” The Asian monk looked down. “We’ve been looking for him the whole day.”

“…Where is Aidan?”

Despite being worried for his nephew, a vicious feeling of jealousy mixed with betrayal made his way inside the Abbot. Brendan had looked up to Aidan so fast, like Cellach had himself at a time, and put his trust in the man from Iona to the point of defying his own uncle. And Aidan wanted to finish the Book of Iona more than anything in the world… Could it be the both of them ran away together?

“Brother Aidan went to the forest in the morning, to look for Brendan.” he was answered. “And he hasn’t still… Abbot! Wait!”

Wrapping his cape tighter around him, Cellach rushed to the forest. He couldn’t tell if he was more angry than worried, but the idea of Brendan and Aidan being in the forest for such a long time without coming back were enough to make him move.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brendan swam desperately, barely escaping the monster’s huge mouth for the second time. He started reciting prayers in his mind, calling out for help.

Why did he think he could do it? How could he be so arrogant? He was just a child, an illuminator in training, what could he do against Crom Cruach?

In his rush, he hit the body of the creature and lost control. He was falling again, his small body rebounding against the much huger one.

Fear and despair seized him as the tail of Crom wrapped around his waist, sending him flying up towards its face.

His thoughts went to Aisling, Brother Aidan and his uncle. He prayed they could forgive him for failing them, and for wasting the sacrifices they made for him.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aidan jolted awake. It took him a while to remember where he was, and why.

Brendan. The boy was gone and he ran to the forest to look for him. He walked for hours, trying not to get lost, calling for him. But no one answered, no soul were seen. The forest had been quiet, too quiet. And he had ended up sitting against a tree to rest and had fallen asleep.

The old man stood up, his legs slightly shaking. He was exhausted, but grateful for being still alive. Wolves lived in that forest, he could have been attacked. A sound made him jump, he turned around, ready to run.

A familiar meow resonated in the silence before Pangur Ban went out bushes to jump in his arms.

“Pangur!” he exclaimed, relieved. “Where were you, girl?”

The cat purred against his shoulder, relaxing the illuminator. He petted her a moment before realization strike him.

“Where is Brendan?” he asked. “Were you with him?”

Pangur looked up at him. Aidan always marvelled at how expressive she was, but now, her expression only increased his worry. The white feline jumped on the ground and ran off, stopping a few feet away from him, inciting him to follow.

Aidan followed as fast as he could through the nature, praying the boy was alright, or –had anything happened to him- that it was not too late. When Pangur stopped, he scanned the place and gawked in disbelief.

“Is that the Dark One’s cave?” he muttered.

The cat went ahead, and he cautiously walked after her. The clearing was unnaturally cold and dark, and there was a strange smell that reminded him of blood, rot and death. They stopped at the entrance of the cave, which were blocked by a thrown statue. Aidan glanced at his pet, confused.

“What are you trying to tell me, Pangur Ban?”

The white cat meowed sadly, scratching the earth under the statue. Aidan gasped.

“Brendan!” he called at the top of his lungs. “Brendan!! Can you hear me? It’s me, Aidan!”

He pricked his ear, hoping for an answer, to just hear the lad’s voice. But there were only silence. Panic seized him, if the boy was inside, how could he help anyway? He had to go back to Kells and find help.

“Brendan! Don’t worry, lad! We’ll get you out of here!” he shouted. “But I have to ask for help, please hold…”

He stopped dead in his sentence as his eye caught something. Right under the statue.

The end of a brown cloak.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Brendan? Aidan?”

Cellach was growing desperate as the forest got darker, he had to find them before night! Some of the brothers had followed him, but the forest was huge, how could they find a children and an old man in there? God only knew how long these two had been here and where they went!

A sound resonated suddenly. A strange echo.

The Abbot turned around. Against better judgement, he walked towards the source of it. A voice inside of his head called him a fool, telling him it could be dangerous, but he kept walking. He barely noticed that Brothers Sergei and Assoua were behind him.

Another sound. Steps this time.

The speed of Cellach’s heartbeat increased, hope rising in him. Could it be…?

Aidan appeared before him. Alone, his cat at his feet. No sign of his nephew.

He tried to mask his disappointment and resentment towards the man, but soon, worry took over again.

The Brother of Iona was holding something in his hands, he was pale, and he muttered to himself and walked slowly. He didn’t notice them until Assoua called out for him.

When he looked up, their eyes meet. Cellach was not sure of what he expected, but Aidan rushing to him with eyes full of hope and tears took him by surprise.

“Cellach, please, tell me! Do you recognize this?”

The younger man blinked at what was almost shoved in his face. A piece of cloth? What were Aidan thinking?

Oh…!

His eyes widened and he pulled the cloth out the white haired man’s hands.

“This is from Brendan’s cloak!” the Abbot stammered and stared at him. “Where did you find it?”

Sergei and Assoua stared at their eldest expectantly too, praying for good news.

But Aidan’s expression shattered all hope. A tear leaked down his cheek and his hands shook as he joined them. It took a minute for him to collect himself. Between sharp breaths and choked sobs, he blurted out.

“Under a fallen stone!”

The three men stood there, shocked. Cellach’s hands gripped the piece of his beloved nephew’s cloak, his whole body shaking. The image of a huge figure falling on the boy -crushing cruelly his little body- invaded his mind.

“No…! Brendan…”

Cellach fainted.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brendan thought it was all over until his chalk came into view. And everything became clear.

His fear and hesitations were shoved away by an intrepidity and determination he had not been aware he had.

He grasped the chalk as if it was a weapon and then heard a screech. Crom was diving on him, but he was not afraid anymore.

He drew a line before him, creating a shield.

The Dark One bumped into it and screeched out of pain.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night has fallen on Kells. The Scriptorium was silent, except for the sound of wood cracking in the fireplace. Aidan was alone, his beloved pet for only company. His heart was heavy with guilt and sorrow, he could only think about poor Brendan. He was not even sure why he seek refuge in this place that held so many memories with the lad.  
Pangur Ban licked the tears off her master’s face, then rubbed her soft forehead against his cheek. Aidan petted her with a small smile, whispering a “thank you” before his gaze fell on the Book again.

“This is all my fault, isn’t it?” he breathed. “Had I not involved Brendan into this, he would still be here…”

The white cat let out an upset “meow!”, as if she was scolding him. Her eyes and ears made it clear that she was annoyed at him, for what, he could not tell. Her stare was crying “why can’t you understand what I say?!”

“I wish you could speak to me, like a human would, I mean.” he chuckled, scratching her under her chin. “Are you angry with me because I’m blaming myself to much for your taste?”

Pangur’s frown (if it could be called that) deepened and she growled.

“No? Then what is it?”

She rolled her eyes, exasperated, before jumping on the desk and pushing a piece of paper in front of him. The Illuminator looked at it confused. It was the paper on which he drew the crystal to show what it looked like to the boy. Pangur then started clawing at it, which confused him even more.

Aidan had no idea what she was trying to tell him, but her gaze was enough for him to understand that he had missed something back there. He held his chin in his hand, humming pensively. Had he made his conclusions too fast? Was Brendan still alive, trapped in that cave? What was going on?

His reflexions were interrupted when the door of the Scriptorium opened. Brother Square came in and made his way to him, a cup full of a steaming beverage in his hands.

“How are you feeling, Brother Aidan?” he asked gently, offering him the drink.

“Not very well.” The old man confessed “thank you” he added, accepting the cup.

The two stayed silent a moment. Aidan sipped the infusion. It tasted good and warmed him a bit inside.

“I still can’t believe it.” Square uttered suddenly. “This is all so sudden! I can still hear the boy laughing, asking questions and running around!”

The older man looked up, his heart clenched in sympathy at the expression of his Brother. He took one of his hand and squeezed it gently.

“Neither can I, Brother Square.”

Pangur rolled her eyes and jumped down the desk to lie next to the fire. Aidan shook his head with a little smile at that before reporting his attention to the other Illuminator.

“What about Cellach?” he inquired, forgetting to mention his title.

Square looked down an instant before answering. Concern and guilt gleamed in his eyes.

“The Abbot had locked himself up, demanding to be alone. But after a while, our Brothers and I saw him going down the tower and heading to the Scriptorium. He looked so furious! We feared he could do something he could regret, so Brother Tang and Brother Jacques tried to stop him, to reason him. He would not listen to them, so others –myself included- stepped in and we did our best to calm him down, to hold him back and then… he snapped, or more likely broke down.”

The English Illuminator paused and wrapped his arms around him. Aidan shivered, he was worried and wanted to know more about what happened, but he respected the other’s silence. He gave him the time he needed before he pursued.

“I’ve never seen him like this before! He was shouting and crying, blaming you for everything that happened. And he was so angry he had been the last to know about Brendan disappearing…” Square put a hand on his face, shedding a tear. “Then, Abbot Cellach pointed at us and reproached us many things, some of them were said because of his sorrow, no doubt, but most of them… were true! I am so ashamed of myself!”

Aidan listened to the other white haired man listing to what had been said. He didn’t know why or how this was possible, but he could perfectly imagine the scene, as if he had been there. He could hear his old friend’s voice, could see his frantic moves as he talked with tears streaming down his face.

“Do you think I’m stupid or deaf? I know you’ve all been mocking me behind my back! You don’t even have the courage to stand up for what you believe in or to tell me and look at me in the eyes! And these books! If my concern with the wall is ridiculous, so is yours with them!! What are you going to do with books? Use them as shields against the Northmen’s sword? Or their arrows? Or the fire?! Or worse, are you ready to flee with the books and leave everyone else behind?! You talk about the future, but can’t you think about the present, now? Can’t you see the menace is real? It’s coming sooner or later, and if we are not prepared, we’ll all die! And your precious books will burn with our corpses! Is there something good about it?!  
The world needs books, perhaps, but at the moment, we need protection! You may worry about them later, when we are safe! Are you all that blind?! Were there not enough refugees for you to realize that?! I… I don’t know what to do anymore! None of you listen to me anyway! You’d rather turn to Aidan, then just go to him! I wash my hands of this! I could not… I couldn’t even protect my own nephew, how could I protect Kells and all its inhabitants? I can’t! I’m the Abbot, but I can’t do it, I just can’t go on! I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!”

The illustrator of Iona swallowed the lump in his throat. He knew Cellach had every right to be angry at him after what happened, and it hurt. He was only a guest, a refugee, it was not his place or role to teach anyone in Kells.

“We were all frozen, unable to speak or move… all we could do were watching him turn his back on us and walk away.” sighed Square, interrupting his gloom thoughts. “I feel so guilty and so useless!”

“Please, don’t be too hard on yourself, Brother.” soothed Aidan and put a hand on his shoulder. “Cellach is completely shattered after what happened, he needs time to grieve, and to think. We all do.”

He sounded serene and confident, yet Aidan himself had a bad feeling.

“I’m sorry, Brother Aidan. I am bothering you with my own feelings!” exclaimed Square. “I came here for you, and here I am, being comforted by you…”

“You are helping me.” he affirmed. “More than you think.”

Aidan meant it, Square might not be aware of it, but his presence kept him from brooding. And he understood perfectly how the other felt.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The wind was blowing harshly on that autumn night, yet Cellach did not feel the cold. He felt empty and tired, his eyes watched the forest and beyond without seeing. His tears were dry, he had no more to shed. The Abbot had cried much more than he had after his sister’s death, when he had saved Brendan, eleven years ago.

He hung his head in guilt and sorrow. Brendan. His only family!

It was not a nightmare -like he had hoped the moment he recovered- he would not wake up and find the boy sleeping soundly in his cell. No matter how he wished it was.

Cellach leaned his back against the scaffolding, his legs almost giving in. He gazed at the starry sky. Memories flood his mind. The times his nephew scared him out of his skin when he was recklessly rushing downstairs or on the scaffoldings. The nights when the boy was too scared to sleep alone because of a nightmare, the days he ran and clinged to his legs crying because he feared being left behind or just because he wanted to hug his uncle.  
Every little details about his expressions, his little habits, and the way he moved. His kindness, his will to be useful, his brightness… how his smile and laugh could lighten up people. Brendan was a ray of sun in those dark times. He remembered how the boy used to look at him as a small child, like he was the whole world. But in truth, Brendan had been the Abbot’s world.

And now his world had crumbled down.

He slided down the wood, until he was sitting helpless on the cold stones. The wind blew again, making him shiver without realizing it. All he could think of was Brendan.

The Abbot stayed like this for a long time. He would have stayed the whole night, however a voice caught his attention. It was low, gentle and it called for him. It reminded him of what he thought he heard the night before.

It kept calling him…

“Abbot?”

Cellach blinked and turned around. A woman was standing behind him, and stared at him with concern. He recognized her, she was one of the refugees –a family of six- who arrived in Kells months ago. Her name was Bree, he was quite sure of it.

“Where are you going?” she asked softly.

He frowned slightly, confused. What was she talking about? He was sitting at the top of the wall near… His eyes widened and his heartbeat increased as he realized he was standing in front of the main gate. She walked slowly towards him, and he unwillingly took a step back.

“Did you…” she hesitated a bit. “Were you going to the forest?”

“I-I don’t know.” He answered truthfully, his body shaking.

Bree’s eyes saddened and she stepped closer to him. She scanned him, he didn’t know what she was looking for and it made him ill-at-ease. He avoided eye contact, too tired and feeling too unworthy to look at her directly. She was one of the people who had faith in him and his wall, but now, he knew he could never fulfill their hopes. What a shame.

“You are chilling to the bones!” she exclaimed in a low voice.

Cellach startled when she took her veil off herself to wrap it –as best as she could- around his shoulders. The fabric felt burning hot on his skin, making him aware of how cold he actually was.

Their eyes met.

The Abbot’s breath were taken away. Even without her veil, she looked like a picture of the Virgin. Her gentle gaze, her benevolent expression and face… He was almost scared he would sully her cloth. She looked so sacred!

It was her turn to look down, as if she wanted to tell him something but could not find the words. He saw her –rather than heard- swallowing.

“I’m truly sorry for your loss.” she took his hands in hers, they felt so warm.

Cellach’s lips moved, but no sound came out. He could not find his voice. When he tried to force a word, his throat hurt and he coughed.

“Please, don’t…” he replied hoarsely. “You’re not the one who should say that, and I’m not worth your sympathy. I-I cannot save anyone, I…”

“You’re doing your best.” she interrupted gently. “Abbot, I know what it is to lose a child you love, were he your own or not.”

“My nephew…” he muttered. “The last thing I told him… how I treated him that night…”

“You did because you loved him.” Bree affirmed. “And he loved you too. We just sometimes don’t know how to say it, or show it. I am sure little Brendan wanted you to be proud of him.”

Cellach thought he had no tears left, yet his eyes watered. He pressed his lips together to muffle a sob and tried to hide his face in his hands, his legs shaking violently. And when the Saint-like woman put a hand on his shoulder, whispering more kind words of comfort, he collapsed. Falling on his knees, Bree’s arms wrapped around him as she knelt before him –trying to support him- and he bursted into tears. He embraced her back, his head bent low as he cried.

He barely felt her hand on his forehead, but heard her gasp.

“Abbot, you are running a fever!”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everything was obvious now. What the people he loved most taught him in mind, Brendan just knew what to do.

He dived and kept drawing a line, the monster hitting its own head against his wall each time it tried to attack him.

Brendan was tracing a perfect circle around Crom -like the wall his uncle wanted to build around Kells, inspired by the strength and agility of Aisling and with the knowledge Aidan gave him- to imprison it once and for all.

He could do it!

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Brother Aidan, please” whispered Tang “I will watch over the Abbot now, you can go and rest.”

Aidan hesitated a bit, eyes still locked on his –finally asleep- old friend. Not that he did not trust Tang, this Brother was one of the wisest person he had ever met, and he was indeed exhausted.

The night before, after talking a bit more with Brother Square, the bad feeling he had felt earlier refusing to go, the monk from Iona decided to go and look for Cellach. The man might not have wanted to listen to him, or even see him, but Aidan had wanted to check on him.  
It had been difficult to even think of a place where the Abbot could have been that was not inside the tower or his room. Aidan had tried to remember the time they shared, so long ago, when they were still close friends. He had wandered aimlessly, thinking, until he had almost reached the main gate. A woman had cried out for help, so he had run to see what had been going on.

And he found Bree, supporting a half unconscious Cellach barely able to walk. His face was white, whiter than it had been when he had fainted earlier that day. Fortunately, Brother Assoua and Brother Leonardo had arrived too –alerted by her cry- and helped them both to take the Abbot to his bed. He, Tang and Bree had taken turns to watch over him the whole night.

It had been a very long night. Aidan could not find sleep, and when his turn to watch over his friend came, he thought guilt and sorrow would kill him at the sight.

What a shocking sight it had been, and hearing the poor man muttering unintelligible things one moment and crying the next did not help at all. Aidan shivered at the memory.

The worst part being when the Cellach had tried to get up, calling out for Brendan. The illuminator’s face had been wet with tears as he forced him to stay in bed, and it had not been an easy task.

With a tired sigh, Aidan thanked the monk from East and went back to his cell. He collapsed on his bed and just felt Pangur Ban settling against him before falling in a deep sleep.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The cage was almost finished, but he still had to take the eye. The monster, in a last attempt to devour him, charged and caught him by his ankle. Brendan lost his grip on his chalk due to the shock. For a moment, he desperately tried to take it back but it was out of reach, already disappearing in the darkness.

He looked down in alarm and saw the eye, no, crystal shining. And it was so close to him!

Gathering his courage, the boy seized the crystal with both hands, his fingers forcing their way under the lids and his feet resting on the huge head, and pulled.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aidan sighed as he sat at the table, but managed a friendly smile for Brother Leonardo who brought him a bowl of soup. Lunchtime had passed three hours ago, but he had been fast asleep, and the Italian illuminator –full of consideration- had kept some food for him.

“Where are they?” he asked, thinking about the other brothers. He had mostly seen villagers on his way.

“They went back inside the forest.” Leonardo informed him. “They are trying to find the clearing where…” he paused and bit his lip. “We would like to bring Brendan home and give the boy a proper ceremony.”

Aidan’s eyes widened.

“But they can’t find the place.” the monk’s voice shook slightly. “No one remembers the path to follow, but we won’t give up, we can’t let him be lost and alone out there!”

The illuminator of Iona got up and took his Brother in his arms. The both of them cried, Aidan silently, Leonardo sobbing, holding tight on each other.

That day was long and sad, even the skies were grey. The villagers went about their occupations, but they did without energy or enthusiasm. Most of them were afraid of what might happen if they would lost their Abbot, and prayed for him to get better.  
Without the Abbot directing everyone, some persons did not even know what to do. The monks who did not go to the forest were not sure if they should work on their books, or if they should try to work on the wall. They ended up sitting silently in the Scriptorium, deep in their thought.

Tang spent almost the whole day watching over Cellach, mopping at the man’s forehead and calming him down. Bree came to help, she brewed some infusion and medicine and took the dirty laundry away to bring clean one. Her daughter, little Fiona, followed her, and it seemed hearing a child’s voice somewhat helped the Abbot sleeping more peacefully.

When the night started falling, the group of monks came back, heads low and walking slowly. The clearing could not be found. They all ate their dinner without a word, only exchanging looks of sympathy and –attempts of- smiles to comfort others.

Aidan asked about Cellach’s whereabouts the moment Tang and him were alone. And he did not like what he heard.

“His fever is really bad, he had pushed himself much too hard, working too long and so hard without taking care of himself.” Tang had sighed sadly. “And I’m afraid he does not have the will to heal, his grief is crushing him. If it does not change, the Abbot might…”

Aidan watched quietly his friend, asleep, breathing roughly. His lips curled upward when he saw the little girl gently tugging at the blanket before following her mother out. Now alone with the laid up man, taking a breath in, he kneeled in front of the bed and took one of Cellach’s hand in his.

“Cellach, please, don’t give up.” he whispered. “I am sorry, I truly am. For Brendan, for not listening to you, and so are all of the Brothers. But, please, try to listen to us too. Protecting lives is as important as knowledge, we can’t let people live in the dark, ignorance and fear…”

He gently squeezed the cold hand, and pressed his lips together seeing the Abbot moving slightly, shivering.

“Brendan would not want you to let go because of what happened to him.” he added. “Please, my old friend, hold on! I… I don’t want to lose you too!”

Cellach let out a wet cough and blinked awake. He turned his head in the illuminator’s direction.

“Aidan…?” he muttered, barely conscious, his mind dazed by the fever.

“Yes, I’m here.”

Their eyes met, and for a moment, Aidan thought he had just gone back many years ago. It felt like he was looking at Cellach back when he was a child, about Brendan’s age -the two had a lot in common, more than they knew. Aidan and Cellach had been so close then, as they grew up and matured, what had happened to their relationship?  
His reflexions were interrupted when the Abbot weakly grasped his hand back. Aidan’s heart skipped a beat, a spark of hope inside him.

“Have courage.”

A few tears fell as Cellach closed his eyes again.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Crom Cruach hissed in pain and rage, flinging its head to get him off.

Brendan held on and kept pulling with all his strength.

The struggle lasted only ten seconds, with one last pull, the eye came out and the young monk floated away from the monster.

Opening his eyes, Brendan could only watch the creature maddened by pain and rage. Now blind and trapped in the drawn circle, the Dark One first bit into his own body -surely not realizing what it was doing- then devoured itself entirely.

The boy grimaced slightly at the view before reporting his attention to the big crystal he were holding.

He had done it!

But before he could properly rejoice about it, Brendan blacked out.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The light of the sunrise was the first thing Brendan saw. He blinked, feeling a bit dizzy, and noticed he was still –thankfully- holding the crystal. It was just a lot smaller than he remembered. Then, he realized the entrance of the cave was free, that could only mean…

“Aisling!” he stammered and rushed outside.

He called her again, but she did not show up. However, the light of the sun was bathing the clearing, now covered in little white flowers. Aisling’s flowers.

His cloak was folded on the ground, a snowdrop laying on it. The boy carefully held the flower and heard the howl of a wolf from the forest.

Brendan smiled, relieved.

“Aisling is alive.” he marvelled. “She and the forest are healing!”

His heart full of mirth, the young monk went on his way home. Something had changed within him, he could feel it. He did not need any help to find Kells, the forest seemed clearer to him, small details he could not see before appeared to him, and the sounds of the forest were now music and words to his ears.

As he reached Kells, excitement raised in him. He wrapped the eye in his cloaked and hurried through his secret passage. He was so looking forwards seeing Aidan to show him the crystal! Aidan would not believe his eyes and be thrilled!

Aidan was following Pangur Ban, the cat acted so strangely that morning! She had been so excited, kept meowing –waking him up- and pulled on his cloak until he actually followed her through the still village. She headed to a part of the wall, still covered by scaffoldings. The old man saw his pet disappearing behind them and stopped, unsure if it was safe.

“Pangur!” he heard. “Thank you for coming to meet me!”

Aidan flinched as he recognized the voice.

“Brendan?” he called.

The boy appeared before him, grinning widely, and for a moment, he thought he was either dreaming, or that he would faint.

Brendan was surprised to see Aidan there, but happy. Pangur rubbed herself against his legs, purring loudly, which made his heart warmer than it already were. But before he could say anything, Aidan pounced on him, hugging him tightly.

That stunned Brendan, not that he complained about it, but he felt something was wrong. Aidan was not holding him like this by gratitude –he had not even shown him the crystal yet. This felt… desperate? Yet relieved?

“You’re here!” You’re back! Safe and sound! Oh Brendan!” his master was sobbing, which worried the boy.

He listened quietly Aidan thanking successfully God and every Saint that went through the old man’s mind before he dared speaking up.

“You knew I escaped the tower?” he asked. “I’m so sorry for worrying you!” he apologized, then another realization struck him.

“Did uncle notice?” he inquired, looking at the illuminator. “It was just for the night! I hope he did not…”

The child stopped, seeing his elder’s expression changing.

“The night?” muttered Aidan with wide and confused eyes. “Brendan… you were gone for two days!”

Brendan almost dropped the crystal.

“What? But it can’t be!” he quivered. “It was not that long, and the sun had just…”

Brendan held a hand to his mouth. Time did not run out the same in Crom’s realm. His battle against the monster only lasted five, maybe ten minutes at most for him, and yet the sun was rising when he woke up. The boy had concluded that the night had ended but…

Aidan grasped gently his shoulders, still kneeling in front of the little monk.

“We have been all so worried about you!” he said. “Everyone was looking for you, and I went to the forest and Pangur led me to a dark clearing with a cave.”

“Yes!” exclaimed Brendan. “The Dark One’s cave! I was inside it, fighting him! Look!”

Brendan unwrapped his cloak and presented –a bit proudly- Aidan the crystal.

Aidan’s eyes widened again, but wonder were alongside the new shock.

“Collumcille’s crystal!” he breathed. “But how… you defeated the Dark One?!”

Brendan, forgetting a moment about the time’s lapse, excitedly explained what happened and how he managed to take the eye of Crom.

Aidan was both astonished and amazed at the tale, and he felt a new hope rising inside him, for the book, for Kells, everything! The boy himself was the hope people needed in those dark times. The monk of Iona embraced his apprentice again, thanking him.

“That’s what you tried to tell me!” he exclaimed, looking at Pangur.

She sent him a stare that could only mean “of course, silly!” making him laugh. But he needed to tell Brendan what happened. Gently, he pulled away from him.

“Brendan, good lad” he caressed the boy’s head. “You have to know…”

It was now Brendan’s turn to listen to him, to know what happened while he had disappeared. The child was shocked when told they thought him dead, because of the cloak he found under the fallen figure. His face paled as Aidan talked about the Abbot, his breakdown and illness.

Brendan stood still a moment, his hands shook slightly and his gaze went from his master to the tower. Understanding his torment, Aidan caressed his head once again.

“Go see your uncle.” he smiled. “We will have a lot of time to draw later.”

Brendan swallowed and nodded.

“Thank you, Brother Aidan!” he replied.

The boy was about to run to the tower, but turned back an instant to give Aidan the crystal, afraid to loose or break it. The old man took it carefully and watched Brendan dash to see the Abbot.

His heart no longer heavy, the illuminator went to the Scriptorium, his cat on his heels, and put the crystal where it would be safe (and where he would find it). He thought about going to the tower too, but realized he had to tell everyone else the good news first.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Brendan reached the Abbot’s room, his heart clenched with worry. How would his uncle react? Would he be angry at him or disappointed? Ask him where he had been for two days? His stomach turned as he walked, he felt guilty for betraying his uncle’s trust –even if deep down, he knew he was right- and making him literally ill with worry and grief.

Tears welled in his eyes at the sight of Cellach. The boy had never seen him like that before, he could not even remember seeing him so ill that he was forced to stay in bed. And he seemed so fragile! He was so pale Brendan feared for a moment he had stopped breathing.

“Brendan…”

His body petrified at the call. His uncle had just called him in his sleep! The tears were now streaming down the child’s face.

“Uncle, I’m here!” he whispered, taking one of the Abbot’s hand in both of his. “I’m right here, please, wake up!”

Brendan did not know if he was waking up to his voice, or if the man was only sleeping lightly, but Cellach opened his eyes.

Cellach’s head hurt, and he felt really cold and exhausted. His mind was in a fog, it took him some time to remember where he was and to notice that someone was holding his hand. Vaguely remembering Aidan doing so the night before, he turned his head, expecting to see the old man.

He froze, not believing his eyes.

Shaking, his hand touched gently the boy’s face. His skin was warm, real, and a bit wet from the tears.

“Brendan?” he called, still unsure if it was not the fever playing tricks on him. “Is that really…?”

His nephew threw himself at him for an answer, holding him tight and sobbing in his neck.

“I’m sorry!” he cried. “I’m here, uncle!”

Astonished, Cellach weakly embraced him back as his eyes watered.

“I… oh God!” he muttered between two coughs. “I thought I’d never see you again!”

They both clinged to each other for a while, crying. They did not notice their Brothers glancing at them through the opened door before going back downstairs, wiping away a tear.

“I love you.”

Neither of them could remember later who said it first, and it did not matter. They had both said it.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brendan’s eyes were still a bit red when he came to the Scriptorium. It took him a little longer than expected, with all of the Brothers jumping on him to hug him, relieved and happy to see him alive and well. After escaping (surviving) their tight embrace, he also went to meet Bree, the “lady healer” as Tang called her, to thank her. She was as kind as he had imagined her.

Aidan was waiting patiently for him, Pangur in his arms. She meowed to welcome him.

“Are you ready?” smiled the man of Iona.

“Yes!” the boy was very enthusiast, then he added. “Uncle let me come here! So I have to show him the best I can do!”

“That is indeed a miracle!” chuckled Aidan and patted his head. “Go on, lad, let’s not make him regret his decision as soon as he gets better!”

Brendan let out a little laugh and took the offered feather. The old man watched him quietly caressing it before dipping it gently in the ink. His other hand holding the crystal to his eye, the illuminator-in-training started drawing with a huge smile on his face.

Aidan’s grin widened. He could not tell why, but he was certain everything will be fine.


	2. Have I told you lately (that I love you)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of the story^^ ! There is a third (finale) part coming :) .
> 
> Thanks to everyone who left kudos <3 .
> 
> Special thanks to Shinobiilluminator for correcting me and allowing me to mention her OC Fantasus :) (check her gallery to know more about this great character here: whitefangkakashi.deviantart (.com)
> 
> Enjoy !

Brendan was so focused on his drawing that he did not even hear the Brothers fussing around in the Scriptorium. Sometimes, he glanced up and saw them either working on their own pages or coming in and out with plans, then his attention went back to his art.

The little monk put down his feather to look at the result.

“You have progressed so much, Brendan.” admired Aidan, watching it over his shoulder. “This is beautiful!”

Brendan felt himself grin, touched by the compliment. It was still a bit hard for him to understand why people were always so amazed at his drawings –it was all thanks to the crystal after all- but he was happy. Brother Sergei made his way to them and stared at the vellum page in awe. His face literally lit up each time he looked at Brendan’s illustrations, even the simplest ones.

“I have never seen anything so beautiful.” the Russian illuminator breathed.

“You really should show this one to the Abbot!” exclaimed Brother Friedrich, making the three others jump in surprise –for they did not notice him coming.

The youngest toyed nervously with his fingers, not sure how to answer. His uncle was still bedridden. It has been two weeks now. He was recovering slowly but steadily. Brendan spent as much time he could with him, often doing the talk for the two of them – since Cellach tired easily and his throat was still sore - but he listened to the boy with a little smile.

Brendan really wanted to show him his drawings, but each time he finished an illustration, he wondered “is it good enough?”. Despite what his fellow Brothers told him, he hesitated. He wanted his dear uncle to see the best.

“Are you sure?” he asked in response. “Isn’t it a bit…”

“Lad, if you want to show Cellach the Chi Rho page first, once you’d draw it, fine! But it might take a little while!” Aidan teased him with a pat on the shoulder. “Give your own illustrations a chance, and show them to someone a bit more difficult than the Brothers present here.”

Sergei and Friedrich did not dare laugh until the boy snorted, afraid of being offensive.

“I will bring it to him.” Brendan beamed. “But first, I have to clean all this!”

The young illustrator quickly started tidying up the desk he had been working on under Aidan’s amused gaze. Brendan was really happy, surrounded by all his Brothers, Aidan and his uncle, he felt nothing was impossible anymore.

However, this positive picture was marred by the arrival of new refugees, meaning the Vikings’ raids were on their way to Kells –perhaps. The tale of villages burning, people being killed or enslaved while others could only run to save their own lives kept him from sleeping soundly some nights.

And he missed Aisling, he had not seen her since the night he went to Crom’s cave. Brendan knew she was alive, but he wished to see her, most important: to talk with her. Maybe she was still recovering, or maybe she did not want to see him yet?

Brendan shook his head, putting these negative thoughts aside. He wanted to give hope to people, so he should not be brooding. Also, going to the forest gave him more inspiration, even when his friend did not show up.

Angry mutterings suddenly echoed in the silence of the Scriptorium. Aidan and his apprentice looked around, and noticed Brother Assoua at a desk. He was drawing or writing something with energy, muttering to himself with a crossed expression on his face. They could barely understand what he was saying until Assoua half-shouted:

“Oh yeah, you want gold?! Here, take this!!” the illustrator was now furiously scribbling.

Brendan and Aidan exchanged puzzled looks. The older coughed a bit loudly to mask the swear words that came out from their Brother’s mouth, wanting to preserve his apprentice’s innocent ears.

“What is it? Why is he so angry?” whispered the boy to his master.

“I’m not sure.” Aidan replied, his voice low. “I think Brother Assoua was the one who took care of the new refugees, well, most of them. Maybe hearing their tale somewhat unnerved him?”

They both shrugged. The monk from Africa looked so focused on whatever he was drawing they did not dare interrupt him, so they went out the Scriptorium. Brendan took his just finished drawing with him.

“I will go to Brother Leonardo now.” announced Aidan with a smile. “I have a promise to keep to him, then I will see if my help is needed elsewhere. Will you go to the Abbot?” Brendan nodded. “I hope you will tell me about it, then!”

The young monk promised he would with a grin and headed to the tower.

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The wall was still being worked on, not as hard as before, but the workmen and Brothers wanted at least to strengthen what could be. And so it would not be really “incomplete”. They would not keep building it as high as the Abbot had foreseen in the past, and somehow, it felt it was for the best.

But then, what? What would happen if the Vikings reached Kells? What was the wisest choice?

Cellach left his spot by the window with a sigh to go back to bed, his head already heavy and painful. He knew he should stop thinking about it –at least to spare himself another headache- but the words “do not worry” to him were like telling a bird “do not fly”.

The man shivered and wrapped himself in the blanket, he was still a bit feverish. Another sigh escaped his lips as he closed his eyes, dozing off.

The sound of steps awoke him from his slumber, along with a girlish giggle.

“Be careful, Fiona!” he heard before Bree and her daughter entered the room.

The little girl was holding a bottle, and seemed very proud to do it on her own. The two greeted Cellach, who sat up and greeted them back.

“Sorry for waking you up.” Bree apologize, seeing him rubbing his eyes tiredly.

“This is nothing, I was not really sleeping.” he assured.

The healer smiled and put her tray on the table. Meanwhile Fiona walked hurriedly to him and raised her arms high above her head to present him the bottle.

“Your medicine, Abbot!” she announced with a grin.

Said Abbot had to bite the inside of his cheek not to grimace. Had he known that this thing tasted so horrible years ago, he would never had scolded Brendan so harshly when the boy had made a scene to not take it, thinking his nephew was only being difficult.

“Fiona, dear, you can’t just give him the bottle like that!” laughed her mother.

Still smiling, Bree took a (thankfully) small glass and helped her daughter filling it. The girl insisted on giving it to him herself, so she climbed on the bed. Cellach could not help chuckling a bit, she reminded him of Brendan sometimes and she was adorable. However, he took the cup reluctantly and held his breath before drinking it. The liquid was quite thick, tasted really sour and it was hard to swallow it without coughing, but the Abbot managed to take it with dignity. He smiled gratefully at Bree as she offered him a cup of infusion, its main aim was not to wash the taste away, but it helped. The woman waited for him to put the cup down, then she gently touched his forehead.

“The fever is almost gone.” she affirmed.

She was about to continue but the sound of steps echoing interrupted her. Aidan’s cat sneaked into the room, with a little sound that sounded like a mix of a purr and a caterwaul, and looked back. Brendan came in quickly after her.

“Hello again, uncle!” he grinned, holding a parchment against him. “Good morning Bree! Good morning Fiona!”

The little girl waved excitedly at him from the bed while her mother greeted him in a soft tone with a nod. The cat scampered and jumped on Cellach’s bed, then rubbed herself against Fiona and him, purring. Bree watched fondly as her daughter petted the animal as it settled against the Abbot’s lap. She turned to Brendan, asking him if he wanted to talk to his uncle alone. The boy shook his head, assuring her they could stay, before walking to the bed.

For an instant, the gleam in his eyes flickered and he looked hesitant.

“I… I’ve just finished drawing this and…” he gulped. “I wanted to show it to you. I mean, if you want to look at it!”

Cellach blinked.

The two stared into each other’s eyes, until the Abbot slowly reached out.

“Yes, please.” he said softly.

Brendan gave him the vellum page, smiling nervously, and waited. His hands joined without he realised it. But his uncle did not notice it, he was staring at his drawing. The boy tensed, seeing his guardian’s expression still blank. For a moment, Brendan thought it had been all in vain, until he saw the other caressing softly the page. Just like Aisling did, the first time he had showed her his art.

Cellach held his breath as he looked at the picture. It was the most beautiful thing he had seen in a very long time - no, ever seen. The bright colours, the delicate yet expressive lines, and so many details! He felt like he was drowning in them and being blinded by their light all at once. How could he have forgotten about the beauty of illumination? Or rather: why did he choose to forget it? His fingers brushed the illustration, and he swore he felt warmth from it.

A tug on his sleeve brought him back to reality.

“May I look too?” pleaded Fiona.

With an amused smile, he lowered the parchment. The little girl let out an amazed gasp along with her mother.

Cellach looked at his nephew, who was still waiting for him to say something – anything. But he could not find the words, the talent of Brendan was beyond them all.

“It’s… amazing, Brendan.” he finally breathed. “And you only started learning a few months ago!”

The Abbot invited him to come nearer him, holding his hand out. When the boy was close enough, he gently caressed his head. His mind was in a strange blur, he wanted to tell so many things to Brendan but had no idea where to begin. At the end, the words escaped his lips on their own accord.

“Thank you. I am so proud of you.”

Brendan’s eyes and smile blinded him even more than his drawing.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Thank you so much for your help, Brother Aidan!” Leonardo beamed at the picture adorning the largest wall of the kitchen.

Aidan chuckled as he dusted the chalk off his white robe.

“You are very welcome, Brother Leonardo!” he grinned and admired their work.

It reminded him of his time in Clonmacnoise and Iona. He used to draw a lot of illustrations with his fellow illuminators –a picture created by several of them- and he loved it, it never failed to warm his heart.

A loud sneeze echoed, drawing their attention away.

“I think Brother Square has finally found the pepper!” laughed the Italian monk.

“Indeed!” sniffed Square as he walked to them, holding a cup full of black powder. “This is amazing!” he gasped, looking at their work.

“This is all thanks to Brother Aidan!” Leonardo precised.

Aidan was about to argue –with a smile- when Brother Tang and Brother Jacques entered the kitchen. The two stopped in their tracks to admire the new illustration. The group talked for a bit, commenting the picture until Tang interrupted.

“I’m sorry, but had any of you seen Brother Assoua?” he asked.

“Well, last time I saw him, he was in the Scriptorium.” Aidan informed. “He looked pretty upset, by the way.”

“He gets on his nerves quite often, lately.” commented Jacques. “I guess he must be tired about the constant menace of the Northmen.”

“Instead of cowering in fear or being depressed, he gets furious. That sounds like him!” exclaimed Leonardo, Square nodded in approval.

Aidan hung his head, getting lost in his thoughts. He could barely hear the discussion anymore. After a while, he ended up excusing himself and left the room.

He walked a moment, looking down with his arms behind his back, not paying attention to his surroundings.

The Northmen. No one would feel safe or happy as long as their raids continue. A shiver ran down his spine as he was flooded by the memory of them attacking Iona, how scared he had been when Vikings pursued him, until two of his Brothers sacrificed themselves to hold back some assailants. Guilt tightened strong knots in his stomach. Sometimes, he wondered if he was worth their lives, but then he repeated himself that he shouldn’t think like this. He knew he had to live and finish the Book, so their sacrifices were not in vain.

Aidan sighed, wondering what he would do if such a thing happened to Kells. He was not sure he would bear it, especially now after befriending the monks, finding a precious apprentice and re-bounding with an old friend.

“Ah, there he is!” he heard behind him. “Brother Assoua!”

The illuminator from Iona turned back and saw Brother Jacques running towards the monk from Africa. He glanced at Assoua, who was standing near a part of the wall, then noticed Brother Tang coming his way. He smiled at the smaller man and waited for him.

“Brother Aidan, did something we said upset you?” Tang inquired as he joined his side.

“What? Oh, no, no, my friend!” Aidan assured him, waving his two hands. “It wasn’t you.”

He looked down and started walking again. Tang kept up with him, waiting for him to explain himself or just to offer him his company.

“It’s just that…” Aidan licked his lips, hesitant. “I’m not sure about what to do if the Vikings come here, someday.”

“Unfortunately, no one can prepare for such things.” sighed the older monk.

“I thought that flying was the best thing to do.” he said after nodding. “But thinking about it… Some people might escape then and find a new refuge, of course, but what if they don’t? And what about the others? The oldest? The sick? The children? And some people won’t leave Kells, because leaving everything they worked so hard for behind at the Northmen’s mercy would break their heart.”

The master shook, his breathing short and cramped as the cruel truth escaped his lips.

“We can’t save everyone.”

Aidan paused, calming his breath. He glanced at the tower before staring into Brother Tang’s eyes.

“If they were to arrive tonight, or in the week, Cellach would not be able to run away, even if he wanted to, would he?”

Tang shook his head.

“No, the Abbot is still too fragile. The chill of the weather, plus the exhaustion and heartache caused by such a flight might kill him, if the Northmen don’t.” he stated. “Abbot Cellach still needs to stay in bed or inside his cell as long as the fever is not completely gone. And it can take time. Even without the fever, he would not be fully recovered, he really needs a lot of rest… and comfort.”

The master illuminator stared for a moment at the round tower. Suddenly, a conversation he had with Cellach resurfaced in his mind and he got an idea. Pulling himself together, he looked back at the Asian monk with a confident smile.

“Let’s not lose hope!” he called out. “We cannot save everyone, maybe, but we must do our best to give everyone a chance to live! As the proverb said: God helps those that help themselves, we must do our best!”

Tang’s eyes widened in surprise, but quickly, he smiled back and took Aidan’s hands in his.

“You’re right!” he affirmed with a nod. “We must not give up!”

The two monks turned back and ran together back to the Scriptorium.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There he was. Sitting in one of their favourite trees.

Aisling silently sneaked behind her friend, smiling. She waited a bit, then covered his eyes with her hands. He let out a surprised sound that made her giggle before he turned around.

“Aisling!” he gasped in disbelief.

“Hello Brendan!” she greeted with a grin. “Long time no see!”

Overwhelmed, Brendan held her tightly. She allowed him to, and even hugged him back.

“I missed you!” he said.

“I missed you too.”

The two children spent the afternoon together, their hands tightly entwined. Brendan could barely stopped talking, he had so much to tell his friend. The forest spirit listened to him with a grin, laughing sometimes at some of his anecdotes. Meanwhile, she showed him the wonders of late autumn he could not see himself.  
Aisling noticed the boy’s sight had sharpened, he was able to see some details he would have missed without her months ago. But he still stayed quite close to his village, not wanting to go too deep in her forest on his own. She was surprised by his apprehension, after all, he had defeated the Dark One! What was still worrying him?

Brendan was a being of Light, bringing hope and knowledge, yet something deep down was somewhat disturbing him.

Then she finally smelled it. That awful scent.

She kept on smiling until they both walked back to Kells and waved him good bye. Then her eyes became serious as she realized what it was all about.

The fear of destruction, and loosing everyone he loved. The smell of greed and blood coming nearer every day.

It was the same poison as Crom’s. The humans coming from the North poisoned the humans living inside her forest just like Crom used to.

And Northmen adored their creatures –or divinity as they called them, like him. It was that kind of fanaticism that brought decay in Ireland and death to her people long ago. Of her parents.

Aisling frowned. Never again! She would prevent such things from happening again! Even if that meant getting involved into the human’s business, she would stop it!

And she would save her friend, Brendan, like he saved her and her forest from Crom.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cellach flinched as a loud “BOOM” echoed in Kells. This was not the first time he heard an explosion today, and this one was louder than the others.

“What are they doing?” he wondered, frowning.

The water was still pleasantly warm, it had relaxed him until that. Brother Tang and Bree had assured him everything was fine down in Kells, and that he was in a good path to healing –he had sweat a lot last night and, according to them, it was a sign that the illness was leaving. But after this particular explosion, concern invaded his mind.

He got out the bathtub and hurriedly wrapped a towel around him. As he dried himself, he thought it was high time he went back to work. Maybe not as hard as before now, the Abbot still felt a bit tired and febrile, but he could not stand staying in bed doing nothing anymore.

After he put some clean clothes on and fastened his warm cape, Cellach went downstairs with the intention of going straight to the Scriptorium. He would know what was going on and gather plans there, two birds with one stone.

“Abbot?! What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be resting?”

Cellach rolled his eyes as the chestnut-haired man followed him hastily. Brother Drystan caught his wrist gently, begging him to go back to the tower in order to keep himself warm. The Abbot held back an exasperate sigh, the monk meant well after all.

“Thank you for your concern, Brother Drystan, but I’m fine.” he affirmed. “And I have duties!” he reminded the man, freeing himself from his grip.

Drystan looked worried, but nodded before walking away. Cellach sighed in relief but jumped as another explosion –even louder than the last- boomed behind him. His heart pounding against his ribs, he turned around and froze at the sight of a thick multi-coloured smoke leaking out of the Scriptorium.

“Oh Lord!!” he exclaimed and sprang to the building.

Shortly after, Aidan -followed successively by the Brothers Jacques, Leonardo, Tang and Square- hastily got out, all of them coughing hard, their hair and faces covered in soot. He was about to reach them when Brother Assoua bursted out too–in the same state as the others- and cheered:

“THAT’S IT!! We succeeded my Bros!” he announced lifting his fist up in triumph.

“For Heaven’s sake, what are you up to?!” the Abbot demanded, holding back a cough. “Have you all lost your mind?! You could have choked back inside!!”

The Illuminators all turned and stared at him, surprise and confusion mixed in their eyes.

“Abbot, you should not be outside!” Brother Tang pointed out, walking to him, and grabbed his sleeve. “Your fever is not completely gone, you could catch a cold again!!”

The other monks started commenting, approving what the older man just said, which annoyed Cellach.

“There is no way I’m going back in the tower! I have work to do and duties towards Kells!” he insisted. “Thanks for your concern, but…”

“We can bring the plans or explain to you what is going on in your cell!” Brother Jacques cut him.

“We assure you everything is under control!” added Brother Leonardo, Cellach raised an eyebrow at that.

“Bree will not be happy about this!” Aidan suddenly commented, wiping his face with a piece of his clothes. “Nor will Brendan.” he muttered.

“Excuse me?! Brendan is my nephew and is still a child, do not reverse the roles! Now if…”

“ABBOT CELLACH!!”

“UNCLE!!”

Cellach startled and looked behind him, his eyes wide. Brendan and Bree were both coming to him with displeased scowls on their faces; Brother Drystan stood far behind them. Tang was still clenching his right sleeve when his nephew and the healer grabbed respectively his left wrist and elbow.

“Going outside in your state of health!” ranted Bree. “You can’t be serious!”

“You must not overstrain yourself! Now go back to bed!” the boy ordered –to everyone’s shock.

Before he could register what was happening, the three of them were pulling him back towards the tower.

“Wait, what are you…” the dumbfounded Abbot was interrupted.

“Don’t make it difficult, Abbot, please!” Tang and Bree spoke in one voice.

“Be sensible, Uncle!”

That remark hit him like a punch in the guts, his retorts vanished with bewilderment. This just couldn’t be happening!

“Three wise voices against one, Cellach!” called Aidan behind him, his voice full of mirth. “Just give it up!”

Cellach’s face burnt with embarrassment as he glared at his senior and the other monks, who barely contained their laughter. Before he knew it, he was escorted back inside his cell, forced to lay in his bed. And as if it was not awkward enough, a coughing fit took him when Brendan covered his shoulders with a blanket. Brother Tang stared at him with eyes full of reproaches as he gave him a glass of medicine.

“There! I hope you’re happy!” Bree’s harsh tone made him shiver.

The Abbot silently swallowed the content of the glass avoiding their eyes, his cheeks almost the same colour as his robe. And it was definitely not because of his fever.

“Heaven help you if I catch you out again! I’ll prepare you some infusion, stay here!”

The healer went downstairs after sending him a last warning glance. Surrounded like he was, Cellach had no other choice than swallowing down his pride and obey. His eyes meet Brendan’s, and the thought that the boy was enjoying it way too much crossed his mind.

“Don’t push your luck, Brendan!” he mumbled, allowing his nephew to tuck the blanket in despite his wry smile.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aidan was still chuckling as he climbed the steps of the tower, holding some plans. He might forget things with his old age, but he was certain he would not forget this scene! Poor Cellach had looked so mortified he felt a bit guilty for laughing, but he could hardly help it.

When he reached the cell, the Abbot was still surrounded by his three “guards”. Aidan had to bite the inside of his cheek to not grin.

“Here, Cellach.” he held out the plans to the younger man. “We made some modifications for the construction of the wall.”

“Please, Brother Aidan, he must not overstrain himself.” Bree restated, back to her calm self but still disgruntled. “He must rest!” she insisted, staring at the concerned one.

“But how do you want me to rest with all those explosions?!” Cellach snapped, trying to defend himself. “And all I hear is ‘don’t worry’ and ‘everything is fine’, but that doesn’t tell me what is actually going on! How can I stop worrying?”

“Well, you got some points!” Aidan smiled. “We do owe you some explanations, indeed. And sorry about the explosions, there will be no more before a good while!”

“At least, I hope so.” he thought.

The Abbot sighed and started scanning the plans. Brother Tang answered his questions while Brendan helped Bree to brew more decoction. Aidan sat next to his older Brother, adding some comment from time to time.

They interrupted their conversations hearing a small “I’m really really sorry kitty!” followed by the hiss of a cat. Pangur Ban dashed onto Aidan’s lap and growled; her fur was dishevelled with her tail slightly puffy. Fiona entered the room shyly, her head hung in shame, holding against her chest something Aidan could not clearly determine. She silently walked to her mother and the youngest monk before she cracked.

“At the bottom of the tower, I stepped on kitty’s tail!” she tearfully revealed “But I didn’t do it on purpose!”

“Oh, but that’s not a big deal!” Brendan reassured her, patting her head with a smile.

Pangur looked balefully at the boy but calmed down a bit when her master started petting her.

“What the…”

Aidan turned his attention back to his friend, who was now watching another plan. Brother Tang, Brendan and he glanced at it and understood his astonishment.

“Yes, we all had the same reaction when we saw this.” Tang nodded. “Do not take this seriously, Abbot, this is one of Brother Assoua’s personal plans to vent his anger towards the invaders. It must have slipped in the accurate plans pile.”

Cellach raised an eyebrow, unconvinced and a bit concerned. The man of Iona could not blame him, it was a kind of (fanciful) war machine building plan.

He stayed a bit longer and left with Brendan when he felt his presence was not needed anymore. The time for the boy’s Illumination study was coming. Brother Tang would only leave for the evening mass; and since Bree never went to it, she stayed with her daughter to help watch over the ill Abbot. Little Pangur did not seem happy to leave, which amused him.

“You’d rather stay here, Pangur?” he whispered to her, scratching her behind on ear. “That can be arranged!”

Grinning widely, he lifted the white cat and put her on Cellach’s lap –who gazed at him, confused.

“You watch him for the two of us!” he assigned her.

Brendan snorted whereas his uncle scowled, blushing again. But he did not chase Pangur away, Aidan noticed with delight.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Autumn turned into winter, and Brendan kept learning; his drawings becoming more detailed and beautiful each day. He barely saw the time flowing between his lessons, his chores, showing Aidan and his Uncle his drawings, sneaking into the forest to see Aisling and sometimes watching over little Fiona.

With the cold, he noticed Pangur Ban spent most of her time sleeping, trying to find the warmest place to sleep. Her favourite spots were either her master’s robes or the Abbot’s bed, preferably while he was there.

The fever finally broke, but Cellach was (strongly) advised to “lay down a bit”. He assisted in masses again, and went around the village to give instructions and see if everything was fine. Otherwise, he was not allowed to lift anything or stay too long in the cold –to his utter embarrassment.

Aidan also taught to the Brothers of Kells, to their greatest delight. He was very proud of Brendan’s work, and did not hesitate to tell the boy. He seemed less haunted and more integrated in Kells than he was before, which rejoiced Brendan.

The first days of winter passed peacefully; Brendan was now putting his time and effort into the pages. Not the Chi Rho page yet, but it might be coming soon. He spent hours and hours into that one page, yet he only completed the corner. He ended up falling asleep on it after a while, leaving Pangur to check up on him. After hearing low voices, he cracked an eye open and saw his master and Uncle both leaning over the page, each taking turns using the crystal to look closer. Bredan fell back into sleep with a smile.

Later, all the other monks marvelled at it, his cheek reddening at their compliment. Then, he thought about someone else who might want to see it.

“It’s soooo pretty!” squealed Fiona, pressing her eye on the vellum page.

Everyone laughed, and Brendan used the Eye to help.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The moment Cellach barged in the Scriptorium, his breathing rapid and an expression of utter horror on his face, Aidan knew. What they all feared had finally arrived.

“The Northmen are on their way.” his voice trembled slightly. “We have one day until they attack!”

The Brothers stood petrified two seconds before they started moving.

“We all know what to do, trust us, Abbot!” Square assured before leaving the building with the group.

Aidan hastily joined his friend’s side and grabbed his arm.

“You must go to the tower with the villagers who choose to stay!” he told him. “They will need you!”

“No, Aidan, I’m sorry but I can’t do that.” Cellach shook his head. “I must ensure everything is going on according to plan, your plan.” he reminded. “I can’t go and hide while you are all risking your lives and take the place of an innocent inside the tower. Brendan is out there too, I’m staying down here.”

The Illuminator sighed and looked down an instant, knowing perfectly that nothing could change the other’s mind. Then, the Abbot’s hands gripped his shoulder, making him look up again and stare in the man’s eyes.  
Cellach pleaded him to take Brendan away, if anything bad happened, preferring to know they were both alive –even if he might never see them again- than killed. Aidan promised only when his friend promised him to do his best to stay alive, at least for the boy’s sake.

Snow slowly started falling.

Aisling stood in the middle of what used to be the clearing of Crom Cruach, staring at the entrance with a frown. The Vikings were on their way to Kells, she knew it, but her power and strength were not fully recovered yet. She had to ask her forest for help. Taking in a deep breath and raising her arms up towards the sky, the last Tuath De Dannan began to sing. The song of awakening and war.

Brendan helped people get through one of their passages to the forest, at the back of the village, Pangur wrapped around his neck and Aidan at his side. Sergei and Friedrich were doing the same at another entrance, a bit further away. They indicated which paths and directions the villagers should take to find a refuge quickly, or to lose the invaders. It was so quiet. The boy glanced behind him, his heart beating hard. He spotted his Uncle, who guided and watched people climbing stairs to the top of the tower along with Brothers Drystan and Pedr. Brendan glanced at Aidan, feeling the fear in his eyes. He grabbed his Master’s hand, trying to ease his own distress. He prayed they would all be fine.

Everyone hurried in silence, as if making a sound might kill them. Cellach himself ended up whispering “careful, the steps are not that strong!”, fortunately, they held out. The more he saw people reaching the top and going to safety with Brother Tang, the more he felt relieved. He gave a small gasp when his cape was pulled and turned around. It was Fiona, snuggled in her mother’s arms. Bree let her old parents and elder sister –who was holding her infant son- pass before her. The little girl’s eyes were pleading him to follow them, while her mother’s expression read “please, come back to us alive”. Cellach gently squeezed the child’s hand and reluctantly let go, his gaze never leaving the healer. He felt a more selfish relief when they both reached the top of the tower.

Square and Leonardo had brought warm clothing and food to their Chinese Brother, inside the tower. Now, they were leading people inside the Church.  
Meanwhile, Assoua and Jacques were preparing their makeshift traps, glancing from time to time towards the gates. The bell ringer had to climb at the top of the wall for the last, and once he reached it, he crouched down. The monk from Africa then saw him gesturing wildly, an expression of terror on his face.

They were here.

Soon, the sound of smashing against the gates –along angry war cries- clashed the silence.

A swarm of angry crows flew over and everyone started panicking.

“No! Not yet!” Cellach breathed in horror. “No, please! One at a time!”

People started rushing on the fragile stairs, others pushed and shoved outside of Kells or just ran aimlessly, trying to get as far as possible from the gates.

Brendan and Aidan hurried and condemned their passage. Before the old man could say anything, he was pulled by the hand towards the tower.

“Brendan, we can’t…!”

“Abbot, run!” Brother Drystan pleaded him, pushing him away already. “Kells needs you! Go inside the Church!”

Cellach didn’t have the time to protest, fire-arrows started raining above them. After one last shove, he ran as fast as his legs could, struggling madly to not turn back when he heard a cry of pain behind him.

The gates fell and the Vikings entered Kells.

Several explosions boomed, creating a huge barrier of coloured smoke. The Northmen, in addition of the surprise and confusion, coughed, their lungs burning as they breathed it.

“Uncle!”

Cellach stopped in his track and saw his nephew running towards him with Aidan. Brendan held out his free hand and grabbed his robe.

“I know a secret passage to the forest, come with us!” the boy implored.

“Brendan, I can’t leave Kells!” his voice was on the verge of breaking.

He knelt on the ground and took his nephew’s face in his hands. He rubbed their foreheads together as they both held their tears back.

“Just stay with Aidan, please.” then he murmured. “I love you, Brendan.”

The three of them jumped as a loud crack shrilled, followed by screams. With horror, they realized the stairs leading to the towers had broken, dooming the people who were still trying to climb them. The angry roars of the Vikings shook them up from their petrified state.

“Close the door!!”

Tang managed to do it before the arrows could hit anyone. Sergei and Friedrich ran just in time inside the Church and helped their brothers barricading the door with benches.

“We’re running out of time!” Aidan exclaimed and pulled his two friends on their feet.

He dragged them behind the building and peaked, hoping no Vikings saw them.

“Quick, Brendan! Where is your secret passage?”

Holding Pangur Ban against him, Brendan walked carefully in its direction and glanced at his uncle.

“Cellach, you’re coming with us!” the old man ordered. “I can’t leave you here!”

_“I can’t leave another friend behind.”_

Actually agreeing or not, the Abbot nodded and silently followed them.

Relieved at the sight of both his uncle and master behind him, Brendan led them through the flames and smoke, carefully avoiding the invaders’ attention. His stomach dropped in fear and sorrow as he heard frightened cries.  
The three of them managed to reach the burning Scriptorium. The boy was about to continue but two pairs of hands held him back, keeping him hidden. Squeezed between the two men, he barely saw silhouettes passing near them. Brendan shook and gripped the hands of his mentors, before he realised something was strange.

The smoke. It was mist.

A dense fog was settling down and Pangur Ban –now on his shoulders- raised her head in alarm, her ears pointing up. Brendan pricked his own hear too.

Someone was singing. The voice was familiar.

“Aisling?”

Cellach cried out in distress as rough hands grabbed him. A Viking! The Abbot’s golden lunula was torn off his robe and shoved to the ground.

“Run!” he cried to Aidan and Brendan.

Too late.

Aidan cried out in pain when another Northman caught him by the hair and pulled on it, while a third one blocked them from any escaping attempt. The Illuminator clamped his arms around his satchel, trying to keep it close as the bigger one pulled on its handle. Pangur Ban pounced on the aggressor’s arm with a hiss, but his armour made her attack ineffective. A backhand stroke sent her away, causing the bag to tear and escape the old man’s grip, its content to spill out.  
Brendan rushed to catch the Crystal and Book, but its shining cover caught the greedy invaders eyes and two of them bumped into one another, trying to get it. One of them succeeded and grasped a corner of it, the boy could only pulled back with all his strength, desperate.

The struggle was over when a hammer slammed the Viking’s face. His vision blurred by frightened tears, Brendan saw his uncle hitting his attackers once again before the Viking holding Aidan threw the old monk aside to draw his sword out, ready for the kill.  
The boy screamed, but the Northman never reached Cellach. Still on the ground, Aidan used his cape to make him trip and fall on his face. He took the opportunity to get up and run, taking Brendan in his arms, then he called out his friend. After one last swing of his hammer, knocking a Viking off his feet, the Abbot re-joined them, leaving his broken makeshift weapon behind.

They lost their previous assailants only to be circled by new ones. Aidan gasped as he recognized their chief, muttering “Harald Red Tooth!” under his breath. He and Cellach tightened their arms around Brendan protectively, but they knew there would be no chance at escaping this time.  
Brendan was still holding the Book and Crystal tightly against his chest. His heart skipped a beat as the Vikings came nearer, dread raising inside him at the sight of their swords.

Pangur Ban suddenly meowed. But it was different than any meow or any other sound she had ever made.

Brendan thought he heard singing again –he could barely understand some word-, and closed his eyes.

_“Forest, give me strength! Wake all of your inhabitants and help me destroy the poison from the North!”_

Crows started croaking more loudly and wolves’ howls rang through the air.

Aidan and Cellach’s hands joined and the two shared –what they thought would be- a last glance at each other.

Brendan’s eyes opened abruptly.

The Vikings cried out in surprise and pain as the crows dived on them, scratching and peaking at their faces. The one who attacked Brendan earlier shrieked when a particularly big one started plucking his eyes with his beak. Other screams resounded when a pack of wolves ran into Kells.

The people crowded in the Church kept praying with the monks, all of them hoping for a miracle to happen. They all stopped in their prayers a moment at the sound of screams and cries of wild animals, confusion mixing with terror.

“Brother Tang!” called one of the villagers in the tower. “Wolves! Wolves have entered Kells!”

The Illustrator gasped, made the sign of the cross and started praying when the man added:

“Wait… they are only attacking the Northmen?”

A silhouette shaped out of the mist, and became slowly a body of flesh. Brendan stared in disbelief at the beautiful young woman standing before them, a spear in her hand. She had long white hair that reached the ground, and her familiar green eyes shone in the fog. He recognized her at once.

Aisling glared at the Vikings, her eyes focusing on the chief - the root of the problem. Her thumb caressed the spear softly –remembering that her late Father used a similar weapon in battle- before her grip around it tightened.

“Disappear!” she claimed, raising her arm in the air as she adjusted her aim.

The spear gleamed white, illuminating slightly around the Faery, and Harald Red Tooth was shot through. A death rattle escaped his lips as his body slowly disappeared, becoming one with the haze.

Aisling took up her weapon struck the ground eight times with it, each strike sent wave of wind and mist across the abbey with a piercing sound. After that, she closed her eyes, feeling everything around her.

The villagers who hid in her forest found their way back easily without enchanting any of her wolves. The Northmen who survived were now running away, but none of them were worthy of her attention –neither her wrath nor her pity.

But, most important for her, Brendan was safe and sound.

Her forest had given her all the power she needed to interfere, but it was time for her to go. It was calling her back.

She turned to her friend with a smile, then she vanished.

Ten seconds later, the mist had faded away, the fire was extinguished and no trace of any Vikings were left. No more crows and no more wolves. All was still.

The three monks stood up in silence, watching around them. They exchanged concerned looks, quietly checking on one another.

Pangur Ban rubbed herself against her master, who gently picked her up and kept her close.

Brendan was still under the shock, not only from the attack, but from Aisling’s apparition too. She had looked so different, so fierce, so strong, so… adult. It was like a protective Goddess had come to save them! He didn’t even feel the ache in his arms, nor the cold biting his feet, too dazed to notice. He glanced up at the two adults and felt at ease to find them both unharmed.

Aidan kept a hand on the boy’s shoulder and raised a confused eyebrow, wondering if those events had only been a figment of his imagination. He looked down and sighed in relief as he noticed Brendan was not injured - and still holding both the Book and Crystal. He and the Abbot exchanged a look, bewilderment and relief mixed in their eyes.

Cellach suddenly brought his hand to his mouth, choking a gasp –somewhat wary of breaking this profound silence. The people in the tower! Brother Drystan and Brother Pedr! He turned to gaze at his nephew and his friend, who understood his request: “please, stay together” before he rushed towards the round tower.

The two Illuminators moved off in the direction of the Church, to warn the people inside that everything was over.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everyone stayed silent -either standing or kneeling in the snow- and all prayed together for the people who were lost today. Tears were shed for them too, as many emotions stormed inside each person.

Sorrow, regret, even anger. But also relief, acknowledgment and hope.

Families and friends then quietly gathered, happy to see someone loved safe and sound.

Brendan squeezed gently Brother Assoua’s shoulder, who gave him a grateful glance; but he stayed kneeling besides Brother Jacques’ body, who he had carried here. Other monks arrived to support him, so the boy went away to look for his uncle and his master. He wanted –no, he needed them to be close to him. To be sure they were alive, that it had not been all an illusion.

Aidan hoped that his apprentice had really calmed down. Earlier, when they went to put the Book and Crystal somewhere safe, they had realized the cover was slightly torn. Brendan had bursted into tears, profusely apologizing until he was reminded that the cover was not the real treasure. The man of Iona looked around him, both saddened and relieved: Kells was not completely destroyed, and many lives had been saved.

Cellach was staring at the two bodies in front of him, their faces covered by his own cloak. Despite the warmth of little Fiona’s hug –she had ran to him as soon as she had put a foot down- he felt numb. His mind was in a haze, trying to understand why Brother Drystan had sacrificed himself for him like this. Slowly, the Abbot stood up and turned around.

The three of them were a few feet away from each other. As if their mind was only one at the moment, they moved together.

An instant later, Brendan, Cellach and Aidan were holding tight each other, tears streaming down their faces.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aisling approached the fallen gate, but did not enter this time. She stood there, and waited for her friend to cross the limit. The Faery could feel and see in Brendan’s eyes that something had changed in him, or could change if nothing was done about it.

The moon lightened up slightly their faces.

“Aisling…?” he called her hesitantly. “Is that really you?”

She nodded, her heart sinking a bit at his uncertainty. Most of her strength had been used with her intervention –changing her appearance into her wolf form- true, but finding her only friend so disturbed saddened her.

However, it didn’t last long. Brendan rushed and hugged her.

“You saved me… again! You saved us! You saved Kells!” he sobbed, his small body shaking uncontrollably. “Thank you, Aisling! Thank you…”

She nudged his neck and silently kissed his tears away. Her heart lighter.

“You’re welcome.”

Brendan sniffed, hearing her words, and held her tighter. The white fur felt so soft and warm, it gave him comfort and –somewhat- strength.

They both stayed a little while like this, simply enjoying the other’s presence.

Aisling tensed as she felt another presence, making her look up. Her green eyes stared into a set of blue eyes, like Brendan’s but a bit duller. The smell of worry filled her lungs so she stepped back from her friend, who hadn’t noticed anything.

Brendan let her go but his arms stayed a bit stretched towards the white wolf. Her eyes gazed at him friendly, he could glimpsed her smile despite her animal features, before she ran back inside her forest.

“See you soon?” he asked, his voice low.

The Faery glanced back at him one last time.

“See you soon!”

The young Illuminator smiled, his heart less heavy.

“Brendan!”

He started at the call and turned back, recognizing the voice. His Uncle was standing behind him, worry painted all over his pale face and he seemed about to faint. Brendan hurried back inside the village, apprehensive of what was coming next. He should have known Uncle Cellach would not sleep soundly after a day like this without noticing his absence.

The Abbot stepped slowly, his whole body trembling as he tried to re-join him. He ended up stumbling and falling on his knees. Brendan quickened his pace. He was only a few steps away before his Uncle pulled him into a tight embrace.

“Don’t… don’t disappear like this! Not again, please!” he demanded in a tearful voice. “I thought you were…”

It was not just about tonight. He sensed it.

“I’m sorry Uncle!” the boy hugged back, tears stinging his eyes again. “I’m not going anywhere, I promise!”

“If anything had happened to you, I… I would not have survived it! Brendan!”

“I love you too, Uncle!” the words he didn’t have the time to say earlier were now spilling from Brendan’s mouth. “I love you so much! I’m so glad you’re alive!”

In the morning, Brother Tang found them still holding each other as they slept in the Abbot’s bed.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aidan woke up with a sneeze, startling his pet awake too –who ran to the other side of the room with wide eyes staring back at him.

“Sorry, Pangur!” he muttered, still dozy.

His dreams had been so strange lately. For the last couple of nights he was expecting to have nightmares of the attack from two weeks ago. But last night his dreams felt somehow nostalgic: he dreamt of his time in Clonmacnoise and even further back to his childhood in Iona. Until he found himself in a forest talking to someone in the shadows. Sometimes he thought he recognized the person, a woman dressed in black, but no name came to his mind. He could not clearly see her face either. Other nights, he saw a raven or a black fox (even a spider?) following him everywhere in his memories.

The old man shook his head, maybe he was just thinking too much. Later in the morning, he joined Brendan in the Abbot’s cell, where the both of them continue the boy’s training: he was currently working on the detailed boarders of the pages. The cover had been replaced by a much modest one, and Aidan thought it was best fitting. He watched Brendan draw, sometimes glancing above his shoulder, and kept teaching him what he knew about the world, stories, anything that could increase the child’s knowledge.

Aidan had to stop when he sneezed. He decided to get closer to the fire, rubbing his arms with his hands to warm himself up. From the raid, only light bruises remained on his body, but he caught a cold. Nothing bad, just bothersome.

“Brother Aidan, are you alright?”

The Ionan smiled at his apprentice. The poor lad was always worried for everyone, and he perfectly understood why.

Some buildings –such as the Scriptorium- and huts were currently being repaired. Meanwhile, people who had nowhere else to sleep gathered in the round tower, where accommodations had been prepared. No one could forget about the poor people who met their death when the stairs broke down.

Brother Assoua had almost stopped talking at all, grieving the death of some of their Brothers and the villagers. But more than anything, he felt guilty for Brother Jacques’ death. The poor bell ringer had helped him setting traps to slow down –or even injury- the invaders and had been circled by those who climbed the wall. Assoua had been barely injured. He could not understand why God had spared him and not his friend.

With the cold, people fell ill –like himself. And to make matters worse for the little monk, Cellach had an onset of fever again. Tang and Bree assured everyone it was not bad, and he believed them, but that really increased Brendan’s worry.

Aidan was not really sure about how he felt himself. From his experience, he could affirm it did not go as bad as it could: people had a tragic fate –that couldn’t be denied- but not as many as there could have been. He didn’t lose the people he loved most dearly this time, this thought raised mixed feelings in him: guilt for being selfish, but also gratitude towards whoever (or whatever) had come to save them. And somehow, justice had been done for all the victims who were mercilessly killed by Harald Red Tooth and his Horde.

Brendan unfasted his cloak and put it on Aidan’s shoulders.

“Thank you, Brendan. But do not neglect yourself, you might get a cold too.” he warned the boy with a tender smile.

“It’s alright. I feel warm enough.”

Pangur Ban purred on the young Illuminator’s lap, making Aidan smile wider. He almost didn’t notice the worried gaze on him.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Careful, you might slip!” chirped the Faery, skipping ahead of him.

Brendan stepped carefully on the ice behind her –his arms outstretched to keep his balance- a white smoke coming out his mouth as he breathed. It had been a while since he had gone into the forest to meet Aisling, but it was the first time he didn’t have to sneak away, he could go after telling his Uncle. He was not sure if the permission had been readily given, but it was a huge step forward!

The young Illuminator finally started to see the beauty of winter again. After the attack, his thoughts and dreams had been slightly darkened by his grief and worry, and the weather had not really improved his mood.

A surprised exclamation escaped his lips as his feet slid, he had to flail his arms to regain his balance. Aisling giggled and took his hand, then made them both spin with one bound. The two children cheered and laughed as they slid in circles together before falling in the snow.

Brendan looked at the sky and the corner of his lips lowered a bit.

“What’s wrong?” the concerned face of his friend filled his field of view.

“Sorry, I just…” he searched his words. “I’m so worried!” he blurted out, hiding his face in his hand and turning on his side.

“About what?” Aisling tilted her head on one side. “The Vikings are never coming back, I give you my word!”

“It’s not about them, well, not directly.” Brendan sighed. “What they did, the consequences… Nothing will be the same anymore! People are scarred forever, Brother Assoua, Bree and her family… everyone! And… and Uncle has fallen ill again, I’m afraid he might not recover fully! Aidan is ill too, and it’s not the first time he had to live this through! I… I wish I could help, but I don’t know what to do more than what I’m already doing! Sometimes… sometimes I’m afraid Kells will fade away, as if it had never existed…”

A tear rolled down his cheek and silence followed. Gently, the Spirit Princess helped him on his feet again and guided him silently to a clearing. Once there, she let go of his hand and stood in front of the biggest tree.

“Brendan, look at this Yew.”

Aisling put her hand on the huge tree, her eyes never leaving her friend.

Brendan stared at it, it was magnificent and its branches covered a good part of the clearing they were staying in.

“And?” he pressed, not understanding what she meant.

“It had been wounded, ill and nearly uprooted by a storm twice, no, thrice in the past.” Aisling explained. “And today, it is one of the strongest and most beautiful tree of my forest.”

The boy blinked in confusion.

“This Yew had become stronger and more beautiful after several hard and painful experiences.” she smiled. “It might be the same for you, for your uncle and your friends, even for Kells.”

The white-haired fairy took her friend’s hands in hers again and squeezed them gently.

“It just takes time.” she whispered, leaning in. “It is still winter, Brendan, everything is sleeping. Spring will come and bring back a new life.”

Brendan’s eyes filled with tears, but a grateful smile crossed his face. He leaned in too and pressed his forehead against Aisling’s.

“Thank you, Aisling.” he murmured, blinking a few tears.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cellach smiled fondly as he watched his nephew playing with Fiona and Aidan’s white cat from the window. Other children were playing other games, each group standing a bit further from the other or sometimes joining.

The sun was shining brightly that day, it was the kind of days that gave him his faith back fully and drove him into believing everything will be fine.

Bree and her sister –Niamh if he recalled- soon joined them. He could hear the little girl’s laughter as her aunt swung her in her arms, a chuckle passed his lips at Brendan’s cry of surprise when she did the same with him. His eyes then laid on the healer, who looked up at him –catching him off-guard. She smiled and waved at him, a gesture he shyly returned.

“Finally, the sun is back!”

Cellach turned around and saw Aidan standing behind him, a grin on his face. His nose was less red than the previous week, a sign that his cold was getting better. The man from Iona walked next to him and looked outside.

“Doesn’t it give you hope or perhaps a wish to go outside?” he asked, still grinning.

“Hope, yes.” the Abbot answered with a tiny smile. “Going outside, without Brother Tang or Bree’s approval? Not really, I’d rather not try again!”

Aidan guffawed, trying in vain to hide it behind his hand. Cellach raised an eyebrow at him, but he had an amused smile this time.

“That would be dangerous, indeed!” the old man snorted. “But let’s put that aside. Do you have some time to spare, Cellach?”

When the Abbot nodded, Aidan held out to him a book. It took the younger man a minute to understand which book it was.

“Just one page, please.” Aidan requested. “That is all I ask, you can kick me out if you want after that.”

Cellach bit his lip in guilt, hearing that. He slowly took the Book, but before opening it, he needed to clarify things.

“Aidan… I’m truly sorry.” he breathed, his eyes looking a bit above his friend’s. “I don’t think I ever had the chance to tell you but… I’m very grateful for everything you’ve done, not only for Brendan, but for the Brothers and Kells too… even to me, after all I’ve done to you. You were right, you came here looking for shelter and brought light here, and I’ve only been cruel to you and tried to smother it. You are most welcome here. I… I take away what I said about you leaving at the first thaw of spring. Please, my friend, stay.”

Aidan stared at him, his eyes widening.

“Sorry, I must sound so selfish.” Cellach looked down.

“You don’t need to apologize, my friend.” the Illuminator smiled. “We all make mistakes, and the both of us learnt from them and we did our best to make things better.” his hand gently took one of his and gave a friendly squeeze.

“Thank you.”

Cellach opened the Book.

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Aisling leapt from one tree to another, feeling stronger than ever and her heart fluttering in delight as she sang. She sang louder and louder, and her forest bloomed with beauty and joy. She halted a moment, her singing becoming sweeter, just to look in Kells’ direction. Gently, she placed a hand on her heart and sent her most powerful note in its direction.

Brendan looked up, his heart beating faster as he heard his friend’s voice. Spring had finally arrived.

“Who is singing? It’s so pretty!”

The young monk looked at Fiona in surprised, then smiled –the two walked hand in hand.

“It’s a very good friend of mine.” he told her. “A friend in the forest.”

The little girl smiled back at him and quickened her pace to follow him to the Scriptorium, where they were expected.


	3. Till the end of time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Here is finally the last part of this story!  
> I'm so sorry for the wait, it has been quite difficult to wrap it up, and this is the non-corrected version of it. So expect an edit sooner or later^^.  
> Thank you to every person who left kudos, followed this story and/or put it in their favourites, it helped me writing it. All of you supported me in a way you can't imagine. Thanks everybody!  
> Special thanks to Shinobiilluminator and celticmoonbeam, for your kindness, all of your encouragements and our discussions which inspired me so much!  
> Disclaimer: The Secret of Kells and all its characters belong to Tomm Moore and Cartoon Saloon  
> More OCs appear in this chapter:  
> Brothers Fingen, Eudes, Rory, Paolo and Tessa belong to me.  
> Abbot Syrus belongs to Shinobiilluminator.  
> Brothers Liam and Molan belong to celticmoonbeam.  
> I have their permission, thank you both again!  
> I have more to tell about this, so if you liked it, please read the notes at the end.  
> Now, enjoy!

Cellach gently brushed some leaves off the grave before laying some flowers on it. Silently, he made the sign of the cross and prayed for the friend who rested there. Opening his eyes again, he read the name on the stone, evoking his memory of him. He could swear the man was standing in front of him right now.

Rory was smiling gently, like he always did in the past. His back slightly bent forwards, as if he was bowing, and his hands joined together in front of him. Rory had been the kindest and most modest person Cellach had ever met, despite how hard his life had been, his friend had always kept faith and courage, in his own way.

A sad smile made its way on the Abbot’s face, returning it to the vision. Then he got up and walked away. His gaze went around him as he went on, watching the tombs, some old, some recent, all he had flowered this morning. His heart tightened once again when he passed those of the victims from the raid. A small sigh escaped his lips as he stepped out the graveyard, knowing he should not let sadness or regret filling him like this when he visited graves, but he could hardly help it. It was still hard for him to entirely let go.  
Those last months - and especially after the attack of the Northmen - Cellach had learnt to delegate. At first, it was because he had been too ill to do things on his own, but then he came to lean more on people and trust them to rebuild Kells with him only supervising them. It had not been easy, but he had to confess it helped his health and temper get better. Without overworking himself, he had more time to spend with his nephew and the other monks for private reasons, to learn to know them again, which was nice.

Cellach’s thoughts were interrupted as something bumped into his legs –making him stumble- then small arms wrapped themselves around his shins. His balance regained, he looked down in time to see Fiona snuggling against him before using his cloak to hide herself with a giggle. The Abbot rolled his eyes with a snort. The girl had definitely adopted him, to the point Aidan had decided to nickname her “kitten”. When he had asked his friend why “kitten” in particular, the old man had answered:  
“Because she looks at you with wide and adoring eyes, follows you everywhere some days, and when she wants to get your attention, she knows how to do it. Wether you like it or not. And trust me, my friend, I know what I am talking about!” he had then pointed at his cat, who had been sleepily stretching on his parchments.

Bree appeared soon after and shook her head with a sigh, not deceived by the child’s ruse for a second.

“Fiona, please, you have promised to help your grandma.” she reminded her daughter gently but firmly, her hands on her hips. “Do not let her wait too long. And I’ve already told you the Abbot is a busy man, so do not bother him please!”

Fiona whined as she came in sight, her hands still clutching Cellach’s robe.

“But mommy…” she started.

“No ‘but’, young lady.” Bree waved a hand in the air. “Now, off you go!”

The girl pouted and looked up, pleading Cellach with her eyes to defend her. It was somewhat tempting to give in, but she was not the first child who tried to play the “touching” card – thank you Brendan.

“Go ahead, Fiona.” he couldn’t help caressing her hair though. “Promises should be kept. And we can spend time together later.”

Still with a small pout, Fiona finally obeyed her mother and walked in their hut’s direction.

“I’m sorry about this.” Bree sighed. “It’s not that she doesn’t want to help her grandmother, she loves nurturing plants… but whenever she sees you alone, and nothing in your hands, she jumps to the conclusion that you have spare time and dashes to you!”

“There is no need to apologize.” he assured her with a smile, keeping for himself that he found such attention pleasant.

It also reminded him of the time Brendan was still a small child too. Thinking about him, Cellach glanced at the forest. The boy was allowed to go to the forest too now, as long as he told him –or someone else – that he was going there. Even if it still worried him, the Abbot would rather have Brendan simply going instead of sneaking out there without anyone knowing it.

And even if he had still forbidden him to, he doubted the little rascal would have listened. It was better to give him the permission and to let him grow.

* * *

 

The chicks whistles lowly, worried about the human who had been peering at them for a while now.

“Don’t worry, littles ones.” Aisling soothed them. “My friend won’t hurt you.”

Reassured, the little birds settled back comfortably against one another. But they kept looking at Brendan, curious now.

“They don’t have all their feathers yet, but they are so adorable!” the young monk whispered, drawing them on his board.

“I took the opportunity to let you see them, since Pangur Ban did not come with you this time!” Aisling smiled, admiring his work. “She might have wanted to catch one…”

“She certainly would have brought the whole nest back home!” Brendan snorted.

The two friends giggled as low as they could, to not disturb the animals in the tree.

Aisling sighed in happiness and leaned against the red haired boy, closing her eyes. She felt content, her forest was full of life again, and without the Dark One’s lurking in the shadows anymore, it was much healthier than it had been for centuries. When she re-opened her eyes, she was almost dazzled by the light coming through the leaves, shining brighter due to the remaining drops of the rain.

Brendan finished his drawing and looked at his friend with a grin, showing it to her. She was about to tell him how much she loved it when she sensed a presence. Humans were coming this way. Now vigilant, the forest spirit scanned through the leaves under them.

“Aisling? What is it?”

“Someone is coming…”

She did not sense anything negative, the people were certainly just passing by, and yet… Aisling could not grasp it, but she felt one was heading towards them and that he knew they were here. Could it be? Could he be able to see her? Or at least feel her presence?

Aisling was not sure she liked it.

Sending Brendan an apologetic look, she jumped up and vanished high in the trees.

The boy blinked and looked up, but he could not spot the Faery anywhere. Before he could think about it, someone called out:

“Hello? Is anyone here?”

Brendan hesitated a bit; but after concluding that Aisling would not have left him alone with someone potentially dangerous, he started climbing down the tree with his board under his arm.

“Hello!” he answered as he saw a man below him. “May I help you?”

The stranger was wearing a violet robe, a golden lunula – similar to the one his uncle wore – fastening his cloak. Another Abbot? As he got closer, the man seemed familiar, yet Brendan could not remember meeting him before.

“Hello, boy.” the man greeted. “Sorry for disturbing you, but we would like to go to the village of Kells and I’m not sure about the way anymore…”

“Oh, I can take you there!” Brendan smiled, jumping down and finally facing the stranger. “I live in Kells.”

“That is very kind of you.” the dark brown haired man smiled back.

He turned around and waved to two older persons further behind, inviting them to join his sides.  
Then, he stared a moment at Brendan, surprising the boy.

“Please forgive my rudeness.” the adult apologize, averting his gaze. “But you look like very much an old friend of mine…”

“I do?” Brendan replied, not sure what to say anymore.

When the two other people were near, Brendan noticed they were an old man and an old woman. The woman looked a lot like the one he had talked with, maybe they were related? Said woman squinted her eyes as she gazed at him. The boy was starting to feel a bit uneasy when the youngest of the group spoke again.

“Isn’t your name Brendan?”

Brendan’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Yes, it is.” he affirmed. “But how can you know?”

The old woman chuckled and looked fondly at him, while the old man seemed confused.

“Because I know your uncle.” the man laughed. “Cellach and I have been friends for ages!”

“It brings us years back!” the woman spoke softly and she joined her hands. “You look like Cellach and your mother so much, my boy!”

“Cellach? That boy is little Cellach’s nephew?”

Brendan’s gaze went from one stranger to another, more and more confused. And hearing someone calling his uncle “little” sounded definitely weird. The two adults with golden skin laughed a little while, pointing out to their friend “Cellach is not little anymore, you will be surprised!” before they reported their attention back on him.

“You might not remember me, last time we met, you were about that high!” the middle-aged man extended his hand to illustrate his words. “And it was not for a joyous occasion either, so I can understand.” he kept on smiling.

“My name is Paolo, I’m the Abbot of Clonmacnoise.” he introduced himself before turning to the two others. “And here are my sister, Tessa, and Abbot Syrus of Iona.”

Brendan gasped in shock.

* * *

 

Aidan was focusing on his preparation, it was the most delicate part of it and he did not want to mess it up now. A muffled laugh made him look up, Brother Assoua and Brother Square were discussing and must have shared some jokes; they tried to keep it low, but Assoua’s laugh was so funny itself that soon every monk started laughing with them, Aidan included.

“We… We really should stop!” Assoua commented despite his laughter. “Everyone here is now laughing, and they don’t even know why!”

That remark only increased the general laughter, and Aidan cautiously put his tools down as he laughed. Pangur Ban opened an eye and glanced at him curiously, upset that her nap was being disrupted. He checked his preparation, just in case, but it seemed stable for now so he kept laughing with everyone.

At least, their African Brother found a reason to bring joy back into their lives. He who had stayed so silent for weeks, almost two whole months after the sack of Kells. The dead were not forgotten by the living, who still mourned for them; but they all found the strength to move forwards with help and hope. The Ionan thought it was a good thing, for he believed that wherever they might be; if the people who were lost in the past could watch them today, they would be devastated to see them all shattered by sorrow.  
Had he lost hope after Iona was destroyed, all of his Brothers would have felt guilty to see him like this, so Aidan had went to Kells in order to finish the Book. And today, everyone here did the same: they got back on their feet and helped rebuild the village. Some people were taking more time to recover, and who could blame them for it, but so far no one had given up.

Aidan wiped a tear of laughter, taking deep breath in as he calmed down. It had been so long since he had laughed like this, for no reason. It reminded him of one of his Brothers, Simon, always up for a good laugh and pranks even in his old age. Aidan’s smile weakened two seconds before the happy memories left the old man happily peaceful. The laughter had calmed down around him, but all the monks were still grinning, some of them had red cheeks too. Aidan took his tools back and was about to finish what he started, he vaguely heard someone calling out for help but did not pay attention to it. Carefully, he shed a tad of the mixed powder in the preparation and then he gently stirred it altogether. The colour started to change, making the master of Illumination smile, just a little more and the ink would be ready!

However, he noticed how noisy it had become and glanced at the source of it, now alarmed. It seemed like Brother Fingen had underestimated the weight of the pile of books and manuscripts he had taken and was now dangerously heaving, like a boat shaken by the flow of the sea. Brother Friedrich dropped his feather and hurried to him, trying to catch the poor man up, but he was not the only monk who got this idea. Aidan barely heard the door of the Scriptorium when his new Brothers –Fingen, Friederich, Leonardo and Eudes- collided into one another.

And everything went very fast.

The four of them fell to the ground and knocked over a desk, books and vellum pages flying all around them as the desk hit another one – the monk working on it having skilfully stepped aside to avoid it- which hit another then, and so on until the end of the row. Aidan had startled when it began, and with the abrupt movement of his hand, he had spilled a flask into the green ink a bit further on his own desk. “Agh! No!!” he muttered between gritted teeth and he just had the reflex of closing his eyes as the ink gave a puff of smoke in his face. It was a very small explosion –thankfully- only a light “poof” but it was loud enough to distraught Pangur Ban who dashed off the desk with a frightened caterwaul. Meanwhile her master sighed heavily, seeing that the ink he had worked on for the last hour was now spoiled too.

_“What a waste…”_ he thought, disappointed and a bit annoyed.

Too preoccupied by this loss, Aidan had not noticed the awkward silence that had suddenly fallen in the room, everyone looking at the group that had entered right at the moment the mess started. And of course, the Abbot was among them.

The five of them had flinched at the commotion caused by the falling desks and the small explosion. Brendan glanced at the guests, feeling a bit awkward, and he gave a startle when Pangur climbed in his arms, clinging to his robe with her claws. Uncle Cellach seemed torn between embarrassment and affliction while the Abbot Paolo and his sister Tessa –once the shock was gone- looked quite amused at the sight. Abbot Syrus looked around the Scriptorium as if he had just stepped in a place full of mad people, but a smile cracked his face when his eyes laid on the person he was looking for.

“…Are you alright?” Cellach spoke slowly, his voice resounding slightly.

The monks all blushed –some more than others- and exchanged embarrassed glances as they helped one another on their feet until Brother Fingen, still laying on the ground, called out:

“I managed to save some books!”

All eyes went on the blond man. Brendan stifled a giggle and noticed he was not the only one to do so, he could swear he saw his uncle’s lips turning upwards a moment before he exclaimed:

“I was worried about you!” Cellach gave a small sigh. “And you would all be kind to not destroy the Scriptorium, even from the inside, it is barely rebuilt!”

Despite the reproach and the bordering irony, Brendan could hear some amusement in the adult’s voice. He couldn’t help smiling, no matter how strange it sounded, he was sure his uncle was somewhat humouring their Brothers.

“I see that some things will never change.” Abbot Syrus chuckled as he approached Aidan’s desk.

Aidan froze a moment before he raised his eyes to meet Syrus’. The old man then gaped in shock, surely not believing his eyes, before he quickly passed round the desk to fly at his Brother.

“You’re alive!” Brendan heard his master breath as the two Ionans hugged each other.

The boy held Pangur Ban closer to him, so moved tears stung his eyes.

* * *

 

Brendan looked around him, feeling a bit out of place. He had nothing to do –the Brothers in the Scriptorium insisted he did not have to help them cleaning up “their mess”- and both his uncle and master were with an old friend. He knew he could go back to the forest, but he had hoped he could talk a bit more to the new arrivals today. The boy let a little sigh out.

“There you are, my boy!” a feminine voice called him out.

He turned around and saw Tessa coming to him along Brother Liam.

“I’m sorry Brendan, but would you mind showing Lady Tessa around?” the monk asked. “I would have loved to do so, but I am assigned to the kitchen today, I must go and help for the meal now.”

“Of course, Brother Liam!” Brendan replied, getting enthusiast. “If you accept me as your guide.” He glanced at the old woman.

“I’d love you to.” she affirmed. “Thanks again for earlier, Brother Liam.”

Liam smiled at her in answer and bowed to them before leaving. The youngest monk of the Abbey bowed to him in return before he turned to his guest and started touring her around Kells.

The conversation was a bit polite and distant at first, Brendan did not know the woman enough to know how to address her without being rude. But quickly, it changed.

“You said you came here before, with your brother, Abbot Paolo?” he asked, a bit shyly.

“Yes, several times.” Tessa grinned at him. “We even stayed here for almost two years, after the flood in Clonmacnoise. After that, Paolo and I mainly came here to visit your uncle and Brother Rory, and they sometimes went to visit us at home.”

Brendan’s curiosity was tickled.

“And the last time you came…?” he left the question hanging in the air, not sure how to phrase it.

“It was eight, almost nine years ago.” the eyes of the woman saddened a bit. “We went to visit Brother Rory, who had fallen very ill, but we arrived too late. We stayed for his funerals.”

Brendan’s shoulders sagged. So he had been three or four years old when that happened, no wonder he did not recognize them. The name “Rory” was familiar, but he could not pin it.

“I’m sorry.” he muttered.

“Do not apologize, dear boy.” Tessa smiled again. “Brother Rory’s life was cut short and had a rough beginning, like so many others, but I know he had lived it fully and that he had been loved.” She glanced towards the graveyard. “I went to visit him just before, Brother Liam was nice to show me the way. It has been so long, I’m afraid I could not have found it on my own.”

“Were you close to him?”

“Rory had been a very close friend of Paolo and Cellach, the three of them had become inseparable, especially after the death of his first master; he was only a boy at the time, and he had needed a lot of support, then I became quite attached to him, yes.”

Tessa paused and smiled knowingly at him.

“I guess your uncle had not told you about their shenanigans and pranks?”

“No, but Brother Aidan told me one of them!” Brendan giggled.

“Well, would you like to hear more, then?”

Brendan grinned widely as he nodded.

* * *

 

“You have no idea how happy and grateful I am to have you here, my friend!” Aidan sniffed.

“As much as I am to find you safe here, I suppose.” his friend half jested as he held him against him once more. “Abbot Cellach told us what happened last winter. God has been merciful on you.”

“Not on me only…” Aidan breathed, tightening his embrace on him an instant.

Syrus pulled back and handed him a handkerchief, saying to him jokingly “you’ve always been over-sensitive!” which earned him a chuckle. “Now tell me, you have finally found an apprentice?”

“Yes, it’s Brendan, the lad who escorted you earlier.” Aidan grinned.

“The nephew of Cellach?” Syrus exclaimed, incredulous, before snorting. “When I thought Cellach could have been your apprentice all those years ago!”

Aidan’s smile widened and he started talking about everything that happened since his arrival in Kells.

* * *

 

“I saw you talked quite a lot with Tessa earlier.” Brendan looked up at his uncle in surprise. “She is very kind, isn’t she?”

“Yes, she is.” he nodded with a smile, storing the freshly made pens in place. “But she also seems to be quite…” he searched for a word.

“Sharp?” Uncle Cellach offered.

“Yes! That’s the word I was looking for! She says what she thinks, even if it comes off as blunt. But I like that!” it also reminded him a bit of Aisling, even if the two were very different.

“You did not know her when she was young.” his guardian chuckled as they kept tidying the workroom. “She has calmed down with her old age no doubt, but back then, she was even sharper. And the time I saw her fight with a nun, she really scared me!”

“She fought with a nun?” Brendan repeated, dumbfounded.

The Abbot of Kells snorted and started telling his nephew the whole story, answering the boy’s questions when he had some. The two had stopped what they started and were now sitting next each other as they kept discussing. It only occurred later to Brendan that his uncle had talked to him about himself much more in this very evening than he had in years. For the first time, he heard about Cellach’s apprenticeship of illumination in Kells and Clonmacnoise by Cellach himself, how he had been poorly treated by those who should have guided him; he did not go into details, but the little monk could tell how those trials had scarred him. Fortunately, he also heard more about the two previous Abbots of Clonmacnoise, more about how his uncle and Aidan met, then his two closest friends: Paolo and Rory, and many other things. These stories brought a smile to the boy who listened religiously, savouring the moment.

“Rory sometimes took care of you, he helped me a lot through this all.” Cellach’s gaze became distant a moment. “Without him, I may not even have arrived on time to save you that day. He was the one who seeked me when the Vikings had attacked the village, I was drawing in the Scriptorium...”

Brendan froze in astonishment. He could only blink.

“Forgive me, I should not have talked about that.” the adult turned his eyes away from him.

Snapping out of it, Brendan gripped his guardian’s forearm, not wanting him to close up the conversation like this.

“No, no! I’m very happy you’ve told me all of this Uncle!” he assured. “You… I did not know that much about you, so, even if it’s hard, it makes me happy.”

Without thinking, the boy snuggled against Cellach, his arms wrapping around the man’s waist, and closed his eyes. Brendan felt him tense, but he did not push him away. Silence filled the room until the Abbot hesitantly caressed his nephew’s head, then he pulled him closer to embrace him back.

“I’m sorry.” he muttered.

“You don’t need to apologize.” Brendan answered with a smile.

“It’s not about what I said earlier.” his uncle noted. “I… I know we have not talked much, you certainly wanted to know more about your mother and father, but you stopped asking because you had understood it made me uncomfortable. And then came this obsession over that wall among other things. I… am not a good parent.”

“Yes, you are!” the boy refuted, looking up at Cellach. “You may not be perfect, but no one is! And I don’t want you to be perfect, I just… I really would like to talk more with you, even if it’s about something trivial, it’s… it’s something children do with their parent, don’t they?”

Brendan swore his uncle’s eyes were gleaming with tears as he, at last, smiled a genuine happy smile.

“Yes, I’d love that too.” Cellach agreed.

* * *

 

“You know that I don’t need offerings, right?” Aisling said playfully as she sipped the cup of milk.

“Yes, but I wanted to give you some gifts.” Brendan giggled at his friend’s reaction when she sniffed the incense he brought, she seemed to like it a lot. “And I’m not the only one, the whole village is grateful to you, even if most people don’t know who you are and that you were our saviour.”

Aisling snorted and tasted one of the small cakes Brendan gave her. She had to admit that the human’s cooking could be quite tasty! It had been so long since she had eaten something like this, and it was the first time she received offerings meant for her, and only her. And that it was given to her without any desire of gaining her favours.

“You did so much for me, it seemed natural to offer you at least little things in return.” Brendan commented as she literally wolfed on the pastries.

The young monk had asked Bree and her family what could please a forest spirit, but apparently, each spirits had their preferences and could even be offended if offered the wrong one. He was glad he got it right for Aisling, given how rejoiced she was.

The faery was tempted to tell him that his friendship and genuine gratitude were already offerings, but she also hoped Brendan would bring her at least some milk again so she just kept eating.

* * *

 

Aidan watched his apprentice’s works with the help of the Crystal. They were excellent, the lad was progressing as each day passed, but something was missing. The old man put the tool down and held a parchment to a brighter light and frowned slightly, figuring out what it was.

Brendan had stayed his whole life in the same place, he had never seen the world beyond Kells and the forest surrounding it. The boy needed to make his own experiences outside, to discover the world… and also and in particular because that was what Brendan wanted deep down.

Aidan hummed under his breath, turning towards the window. It could be possible for his apprentice to achieve drawing the Chi Ro page if he kept training here, but he could glimpse the yearning of travel in Brendan’s gaze and drawings sometimes. He did not need to go really far or for long, but he needed to leave Kells for a bit.

The old illuminator glanced around the Scriptorium, Syrus was being shown some books while the other monks worked peacefully. Maybe he could ask his friend and Abbot Paolo if they could take the lad with them to Clonmacnoise for a while? Wait, it was not their permission he had to get first, but Cellach’s. And it would not be easy!

Even if his friend had changed and re-opened his eyes on what mattered the most, Aidan was not sure he would let go of his nephew like that. Brendan was everything to Cellach, and the two had rebounded since last autumn, it would be hard and he could not blame him for it.

Feeling the need to get out for some fresh air, the old man got up. He shielded his eyes from the sun as he stepped out of the building and smiled, the weather was lovely today. Aidan walked around the village, greeting and smiling at the people he crossed, and drew nearer the round tower. He came to a halt when the door was opened; Cellach came out, his face as white as a sheet and a hand over his mouth like he was getting sick. Aidan blinked in shock and wanted to go to him but Brendan followed by Paolo came out the tower in turn and hastily joined him, which froze him in place, unsure of what to do. Brendan looked contrite as he gently grasped his uncle’s arm, and Paolo put a hand on his friend’s back, obviously confused at what was going on but concerned. Cellach was taking deep breaths, which alarmed the Ionan, was his friend getting ill again? He could not hear what Brendan was saying from where he stood. In the end, Cellach removed his hand from his lips to hit his forehead, pinched shortly his nose after that and turned to his nephew to tell him something. Aidan raised an eyebrow, it did not look like he was scolding the boy –more like reassuring him?- but the latter shrank at the words and let go of the Abbot who staggered away. Before he knew it, Aidan was at his apprentice’s side and quickly asked:

“What happened?”

Brendan looked down

“I told him where I went that night.” he muttered. “And how I brought the Crystal to Kells.”

Oh. Oh no. Aidan felt panic rise in him. How could he have forgotten about that? Bree and Brother Tang had asked all the monks at the time to not tell Cellach yet, fearing that story would shock him too much, and given his state of health… they had wanted to spare him that. But of course, Cellach would ask someday what exactly had happened that night and why Brendan had vanished for two days to reappear perfectly fine, as if there was nothing amiss.

“Crystal? That night?” Abbot Paolo questioned. “What do you mean?”

“Brendan sneaked out of his room last autumn in the middle of the night.” Aidan explained as he wrapped an arm around the lad. “He wanted to go to the forest but was caught by Cellach, who locked him in his room after an argument. I still don’t know how, but Brendan still managed to get out. Then he went to the Dark One’s cave and retrieved his eye, destroying him.” the Italian monk’s eyes went wide and he stared at Brendan, aghast. “Then he came back here, with it, so we could finish the Book. However, while he was inside the cave, two days passed. We had come to think him lost, gone, until he reappeared…”

“I understand better now. Cellach had told me a bit about it, and thus it’s clearer in my mind.” Paolo nodded, not asking for more details. He leaned in and caressed Brendan’s head. “Don’t worry Brendan, it’s not your fault! Your uncle is just under the shock, he’s not angry at you.”

“But still, he’s so upset!” Brendan whimpered.

“I know, he almost shoved the door to my face when he got out the room, a moment ago!” the man snorted, he kneeled down and took the boy’s hands in his. “But remember: your deed was a heroic one, and now you are bringing hope and light to the world.” his eyes were gleaming with admiration, care and sincerity, it relaxed Brendan. “I know your uncle, and I repeat it: he was not angry at you. He was overwhelmed: overprotective as he had always been with the ones he cares about, especially you; it must be hard for him to imagine you had faced such a deity as Crom, when he must have thought Vikings or wolves were the worst you could encounter in the forest. We had both seen what Crom’s worshippers are able of in the past… so their God!” Paolo’s face clouded for a second and Aidan’s eyebrow went up, he had no idea something like that had happened to them. “And even if you are here today with him, alive and fine, imagining what could have happened to you back then, how Crom could have devoured you while he had no idea… it was too much for him!”

The Abbot of Clonmacnoise smiled and patted Brendan’s head again.

“I’m going to talk to him. I think I can handle him when he’s in this state.” he laughed and winked at them before walking away.

Aidan looked down at his apprentice and was relieved to see a little smile on his face.

“Feeling better, lad?” he smiled at Brendan and invited him to sit on the stone staircase. “Now then, can you tell me a bit more? What happened exactly?”

“Well,” the boy searched for his words an instant. “Uncle and I were just talking and the discussion went about that night and… He pointed out that he still didn’t know where I went for these two days, and also asked me how I managed to leave my room. I answered I wanted to tell him but I was not sure he would actually believe me, then Uncle said _‘after what happened when Kells was attacked with that mysterious woman or ghost and all the animals coming to our rescue, I think I can believe anything!’_.”

Brendan moved slightly to sit in a more comfortable position.

“Then, I told him everything; that I had met a friend who must be an ancient spirit, like you told me, who came to Kells and used her magic to open the door for me, that I knew where to find the crystal you needed in order to finish the Book and that I had to go to the forest to find it. Of course, I had to explain that the Crystal was the eye of Crom. When he heard the name Crom and understood that I went to his cave in the forest, his face turned white! It was a chance he was sitting, otherwise I think he would have fallen over!” he paused and made a grimace, obviously not knowing if he should laugh of it or feel guiltier. “After that, he- well he freaked out! He got up and went out, almost hitting Abbot Paolo in the way. I ran after him to apologize but…”

“What did he tell you, when you were down here?” Aidan asked, rubbing the child’s back.

“He-he told me I did not have to apologize, that he was not mad at me but he just needed _‘to clarify some things in his mind’_ ”.

The old man snorted despite himself, and was not even sure why. Maybe it was nervous?

“Stop worrying, lad.” he advised his apprentice with a pat on the shoulder. “If Cellach himself told you he was not angry after you, then it’s true. He’s not one to hide his displeasure, you know that. Just give him the time to stomach it all, it must not be easy. Even if we feared the worst when we were looking for you and thought you lost… I don’t believe he would have imagined you had been in such a great danger, that you went to confront it on your own volition above all.”

Brendan hummed in answer and leaned against him. Aidan smiled and noticed the two Abbots were coming back. He jokingly said to the boy “See? That was fast!” then stopped in confusion when he saw they were both holding buckets. The two got up from the stairs and stepped asides, their eyes wide.

Cellach’s eyes were a bit red, with some tears streaks partly wiped on his cheekbones, but his face was determined. This expression was different than the one he had worn constantly while working on the wall: there was no obsession, no urgency, frustration, tiredness or grief. The Abbot of Kells just looked peacefully decided. The dark circles under his eyes were still present but they had faded a lot in the past months, it added a special change to his face and Brendan thought his uncle looked even younger like this. Paolo followed his friend with a serene smile.

“Uncle?” – “Cellach?” they both called out at the same time.

“I’m going to make some changes, and do what I should have done long ago.” Cellach looked at them with a faint smile. “You can come if you wish.”

He did not wait for an answer and went inside, starting to climb the stairs holding a bucket full of water in each hands. Brendan blinked and gazed at his master and the other Abbot an instant, before he rushed after him, wanting to understand. Aidan wished to follow too, but something held him back, he felt these two needed at least a moment before he joined them. Paolo put his two buckets down to stretch his arms besides him, obviously thinking the same. The old man realized it would be the good moment:

“Paolo, could you tell me…”

When Brendan caught up with his uncle, they were almost reaching the top of the tower.

“Uncle? What are you going to do with all this water?” he asked almost shyly.

“You will see.” Cellach answered shortly as they entered his room.

Pangur was still napping on the bed when Cellach put the buckets down and removed his things from his desk and put them away. He then asked his nephew to take the white cat from the bed sheets so he could remove them. Pangur let out a plaintive meow but allowed Brendan to hold her close to him. When he was done getting everything out of the room, the Abbot stood still, observing around him. The boy was about to ask him if he was alright when Cellach seized one of the bucked and threw some of his content on the wall in front of him.

Brendan and Pangur watched him incredulously do it again a bit on the right side of the wet part and then on the floor –the cat clawed at Brendan’s clothes, afraid to get wet in the process- Cellach’s chalk drawings, plans and calculations about the wall wore off as he did. The empty suddenly bucket hit the ground.

“It’s high time I broke free from the prison I had built myself.” Cellach explained suddenly, turning to look at his nephew. “At first, it was just meant to be a more solid construction around the village, better than a wood fence, the beginning of a plan to keep everyone safe. Then, gradually, I came to believe it was the answer; that the wall held the light and would become a miracle. I thought- I called so many things distractions although they were important, essential even; and so many things happened while I was blinded by those stones, by the wall I had built around myself” he paused to wrap his arms around himself. “I had immured myself in my grief and my fear and I was literally trying to do the same to Kells! I came to believe Illumination was not helpful anymore, just a distraction” he almost spat the word. “when everything about this wall was distracting.”

Brendan slowly let go of Pangur Ban, who sat solemn near him, and took his uncle’s hand. Cellach looked away an instant and gently squeezed back.

“I was so blinded that I neglected what I cared the most about. You, the Brothers, all the people of Kells… I thought I was doing it for everyone but in the end, I think I just wanted to close myself up and not feel anything anymore. I decided I had faced enough disillusionment, seen enough atrocities and had suffered enough, I wanted to stop it all and I almost took you all along in my obsession.” his voice started trembling on the end. “I wanted so bad to protect you from the world, I knew there were so many things that could harm you… I should never had let myself become one of them!”

Brendan’s eyes stung as he hugged his guardian’s waist.

“I know you never meant any harm!” he assured. “And you did so many good things for Kells too! For everyone!”

The boy started listing every good deed his uncle had done for the villagers, then he reminded him how he welcomed every refugee that seeked help and shelter, how he kept Kells prosper with his rigorous organisation.

“And-and we need pragmatism too!” he exclaimed. “I mean, I daydream a lot, and if everyone did the same or just kept drawing, playing music… a lot of things would not get done! Being practical is not necessarily bad!” He needed to stop so he could catch his breath.

Brendan panted slightly when Cellach kneeled to hold him tight, almost as tight as the night after the attack of the Northmen. Brendan embraced his uncle back the same way.

“You are my light.” the adult claimed softly. “You have always been, I will never lost sight of that again!”

They stayed like this a moment before parting, Brendan tiptoed to touch Cellach’s forehead with his own, which earned him a soft laugh as they exchanged a smile. Then he took the empty bucket and went to refill it again, on his way, he came across Aidan and Paolo, who were climbing up the stairs with their own buckets. He grinned at them and rushed to the well. Meanwhile, Cellach took a brush and rubbed the already wet walls to erase the remaining traces. He noticed some might left marks, his room would never be completely clean of the plans, obviously they had been there for too long; but he realized he did not mind that much, just like his own mind, some things would never disappear but he could write over it and stop being chained by them.

“Let’s get to work!” Aidan exclaimed cheerfully as he joined his side and started scrubbing the floor.

Cellach smiled at him and at his other friend, who started splashing water on another wall. Brendan returned a bit later with his refilled bucket to help. What started as a cleaning quickly changed into a water fight after Paolo playfully sprayed Cellach with some water. Pangur was out in a flash as water started more or less literally raining in the room, now filled with laughter. In the end, the four of them were half-drenched and the room almost blank.

They all scanned around them silently, smiling at each other’s when their eyes met until someone knocked on the door.

“Ah, you’re all here!” Brother Tang stopped in his track, his eyes now round in astonishment.

Fiona entered after him, followed by her mother and the two looked around in surprise. The little girl let a long “oh” of admiration while Bree stared blankly at the four monks, but quickly, she tried to suppress a laugh. Tang was still taken aback, he hesitantly told them they were awaited for the mass.

“Oh no! Is it that late already?” Cellach breathed and looked through his window before looking down at himself, embarrassed.

“Alright, we’re coming!” Aidan grinned and turned to the three others. “Let’s all go like this!”

“Sure!” Paolo laughed in answer and slapped a hand on the other Abbot’s back. “One for all, all drenched in water!”

Brendan giggled and approved cheerfully. His uncle finally let a snort out and played along before leading them out.

“I think I might assist to that mass, just this once!” Bree laughed openly now and Fiona cheered, already following them and dragging her mother with her.

Tang stared at them stunned, frozen in stupor. He realized he was still in the Abbot’s room, alone now, only when Brendan called out after him: “Are you coming, Brother?”

* * *

 

“And we missed this?” Brother Assoua exclaimed, sounding half disappointed, half mirthful when Tang had finished explaining to all the Brothers why the two Abbots, Brother Aidan and Brendan had come to mass with wet clothes.

* * *

 

**_Two years later._ **

The clearing was bathed in the sun, Brendan sat at the edge of a rock and had removed his sandals to let his feet dangled in the fresh water of the stream, Pangur was settled on his knees and sometimes batted the surface of the water. Meanwhile, Aisling was happily splashing with her bare feet in the water too, at a moment she stopped and pointed him some tadpoles before jumping aside not to hurt them. He could not stop talking about what he had learnt in the last year, how he had loved his stay at the Abbey of Clonmacnoise, how he would love to go back there someday; then, without realizing it, he started wondering out loud about the world he had never seen and wished to know more.

“Why don’t you go and see yourself?” Aisling asked bluntly, interrupting him.

“Wh- but I can’t leave like that!”

“Why not?”

“Because I have duties in Kells, and people count on me, and…”

He stopped, realizing it was getting nowhere, it sounded like he was searching for excuses. His friend crossed her arms, staring at him seriously.

“Brendan, this is your own life. You, and only you” she emphasized on this “can choose what you want to do with it. I’m not saying you must be selfish or reckless, but if you let yourself being chained by people or imaginary bounds, you will forever regret it. And the chains will only become heavier with time, to the point you might start to hate the person who put it there, and it could be anyone you love or yourself. Do you want that?”

Brendan looked at his feet, unsure.

“No, but… I’m a bit scared.” he admitted. “I do want to go and see the world, even if I don’t travel that much. I feel, no, I need to see more things with my own eyes, to help people with my own hands and spread hope and light with… with everything I can do!” a sigh escaped his lips. “But I don’t want to leave everyone I love behind either. I-I will miss them. I will miss you.”

Aisling smiled and took his hands in hers.

“Wherever you’ll go, I will be with you. Just like everyone else.” she affirmed. “We will all be here” she pointed at his heart. “and here” then she poked his forehead. “And you talk like you will leave forever, is that your intention?”

“No, of course not!” Brendan shook his head vehemently. “My home is in Kells. Where all the people I love are.”

“Then, do what you heart tells you. Do not lose time hesitating, act!”

Aisling sat next to him, their hands entwined and their foreheads met, their eyes never leaving the other’s.

“You should know better than anyone else, Brendan: time waits for no one.”

* * *

 

“Is that really what you want?”

“Yes, but I…” he shifted on his feet, uneasy.

“Then go.”

Brendan’s eyes widened.

“Don’t you think I’ve restrained you enough for all those years?” Cellach sighed.

The boy wanted to remind him that it had not been out of ill will, he had never lied to him: there were indeed real dangers outside of Kells… but he could not find his voice.

“As long as Brother Aidan is with you, and that you promise me to be careful… and to come back, I will be fine.” he then turned to look at him with a peaceful smile. “I will not be alone. Do not worry about me and go live your life fully.”

Brendan rushed to hug his uncle, his eyes full of tears.

* * *

 

“I’m glad you asked this of me.” Aidan smiled at his apprentice, re-adjusting his satchel on his shoulder.

“Of course, you are my master! And I could not finish the Book without you or ever take it away from you.” Brendan answered with a smile. “Are you sure you will be alright?” he asked again, still concerned.

“Brendan, I may be old, but I am still very fine!” the Ionan pretend to scold him and jokingly puffed out his chest to make his point.

The teenager laughed, took Pangur Ban in his arms when she meowed for his attention –but she jumped on her master’s shoulders shortly after- and the two walked towards the gates of Kells. A lot of people, not only Brothers, were gathered to bid them goodbye. Bree and her family were the first to talk to them; the healer caressed the young boy’s face and held Aidan’s hands as she wished them a safe trip, Fiona hugged Brendan tightly, making him promise to come back once again and held more carefully the old man, not wanting to hurt him. Some other villagers either shook their hands or waved at them, giving them their best regards with warm expression.  
The monks were shared: one half were smiling widely –Brother Assoua was the most outstanding of this group- and told them how they could not wait for their return, while the other half was deeply emotional, Brother Leonardo even excused himself –the poor was on the verge on tears and was afraid that if he were to cry, the Abbot and other Brothers might too and then Brendan would feel guilty and hesitate to leave.

Cellach was among the last to bid them farewell, and he hugged them both. His expression did not betray his emotions, he looked peaceful and smiled although his heart clenched. Most people thought he was mostly touched by his nephew’s departure and worried about him, but in truth, seeing Aidan leaving moved him much more than it had done in the past. Maybe because the man was old now. The Abbot prayed Brendan would not come home alone.

Brendan felt his heartbeat increase as they reached the gates. That was it. He was really leaving for God only knew how long. Apprehension and excitement battled a moment inside him, but it stopped the moment he crossed the limit.

He felt free in a new way.

Aidan and he turned one last time to wave at everyone, the both of them very moved but they smiled sincerely.

As he watched the master and his apprentice going, Cellach felt his eyes filling with tears. He bit the inside of his cheek, he should not crack now! But the further they went, the blurrier his vision became. He took deeper breaths to calm himself and froze when a hand gently took his and squeezed it.

It was Bree.

Some tears leaked down his cheeks as he squeezed her hand back. Cellach looked down an instant before raising his head again, crying silently, but serene.

The sad atmosphere was broken and everyone turned at the sound of Brother Sergei blowing very loudly his nose.

* * *

 

“Once we are out of the forest, we should travel south and west, away from the paths of Northmen.” Aidan stated calmly as they walked. “Is there a place you really want to go to?”

“I would like to see the sea at least once.” Brendan revealed.

His master smiled.

“I’m glad you do. I missed the sea.”

* * *

 

As they travelled through the forest, their journey was eased by Aisling’s help and gifts. She did not show herself to Aidan until they were almost reaching the end of her forest. The old man was amazed when she came to him in her doe form, she even allowed him to caress her.

The last night they spent there, the spirit sneaked in their tent and kissed Brendan’s forehead.

“See you soon.” she whispered. “When your light will shine brighter than the sun’s.”

Brendan stirred but did not wake up. Pangur went and rubbed herself against her as a good-bye. After petting the white cat one last time, Aisling disappeared in the night, smiling.

* * *

 

Brendan had no idea he would have so many adventures, and even if he and Aidan went through difficult times, they always made it together. Sometimes, he thought it was his fate to be involved in situations with various spirits or faeries, ancient or young.

His master and he had found a wonderful valley after they went through a particularly bad and dark time, which confirmed to Brendan that horror and wonder were often the two faces of the same coin. They built a little house there to work on the Book. People came and went, asking for a shelter, some help, and always went away with more that they had asked, or even hoped for. Aidan was getting slower, but his mind was clearer and sharper than ever. He kept teaching everything he knew to his apprentice, and when he thought he had nothing more to say, he watched other him as Brendan drew. It also arrived that Brendan was the one teaching him something new, as Aidan said himself: he was only human, he had learnt a lot in his life, but there was always more out there.

Brendan loved it there but of course he thought a lot of Kells, Uncle Cellach, Aisling and everyone still there. He wondered if they were fine, if things had changed. Sometimes he surprised himself by worrying a lot about them and fearing the worse. Did Northmen tried to attack again? Or did some malevolent spirit went there? Was Aisling preventing such things to happen? But the young illuminator then quickly pushed these negative thoughts asides.  
He wished there was a way to communicate with them, to have some news and to give them some from him, so they could know he and Aidan were well and happy. He prayed they were too, that he would go home to a blooming village with radiant people.

“I miss Kells.” the young man confessed to his master someday as he put his feather down.

“So do I.” Aidan put a hand on his shoulder.

“I miss our family.”

Aidan cried a bit.

Pangur Ban bore kittens to life, fulfilling their little hut with even more liveliness and joy. The kittens followed her everywhere for a time, then they went on their own little adventures, so Brendan and Aidan had to be more careful as where they stored their feathers and ink among other things.

When Brendan started drawing the Chi Ro page, he felt like he could never stop or that the page was far too small for what he wanted to draw there. He put a lot of himself into it among the words of faith and hope. Most of time, he worked on it during the day, to have the best lights as he drew and stopped when he felt tiredness overtaking him. At night, he spent some time talking with Aidan and playing with Pangur and the kittens before he went to sleep. And he always slept soundly.  
However, one night, Aidan was woken up by a faint sound and got up to find him working passionately on the Book at the light of two candles, holding the Crystal to his eye. He was not rushing, oh no, he just had a struck of inspiration and could not stop. It was like his mind and body had received an energy from beyond so he could finish it while it lasted. The old man smiled and went back to bed without making any sound.

The following morning, Aidan let the lad sleep in and took his time to prepare a good breakfast. When Brendan joined him, he did not ask about the Book, waiting for him to engage the conversation. It was only after they were done that Brendan announced:

“There is something I want to show you.”

The old illuminator was struck, understanding what he meant.

The Book was finally finished.

Brendan held it to him. Aidan’s hands shook slightly as he took the Book and turned the pages.

“This is even more beautiful than I thought it would be.” he sobbed.

They hugged each other.

* * *

 

“Brother Aidan, are you alright?” Brendan inquired as he helped his master sitting down.

“Yes, I am. Do not worry about me lad!” Aidan chuckled. “My old bones are just reminding me that they do not like humidity! Nothing bad, I just need to rest a bit.”

Pangur jumped on the older monk’s laps, who chuckled again and thanked her for keeping his thighs warm. The white cat seemed a bit tired too, but it was surely because she was bearing a new litter -she was not that old yet- she had spent most of the journey back on Brendan’s shoulders or in his arms. Her other children had been adopted by villagers who lived near the valley they stayed for six years, they would be cared for.

And today, they would finally reached Kells. After eight years. A year to find the valley, a bit shorter than a year to come back. It was strange how both long and short it seemed it to Brendan. They would have come sooner, but on their way, Brendan and Aidan had met people who needed hope, and they could not refuse giving some to them. And before that, Aidan had wanted to “bid his farewell to the sea”.

“I may not be able to see it again, Brendan. And I always wondered what was beyond, to the west.” he had told Brendan as they walked bare feet in the water. “Had my life reached its end here, I would have asked you to send me away to that direction after I died. But it seems like I will be resting in Kells. I hope so. It has become a new home for me.”

The idea of his master dying had stabbed Brendan’s heart, but he understood why he was telling him this.

“Maybe a part of you could go there already.” he had answered softly.

Later that day, a small carved boat containing a lock of Aidan’s hair was floating towards the setting sun and the Book laid in Brendan’s hands.

Then, there was their stay at Clonmacnoise. Some sad news had awaited for them: Abbot Syrus had passed away two years before, and Lady Tessa shortly after. They went on their graves and prayed for them, Aidan shed some tears as he told his friend they had made it, that the Book was finished. Brendan decided to stay a bit longer to show the Book around the Abbey and village, and even started teaching some children how to illuminate; it was a first and he was very grateful Abbot Paolo allowed him to do so. He aslo got to see some of his uncle’s old works he had not seen in his last stay, and was even offered to keep one on a page that the Italian Abbot had kept for years. The young man hoped that when he would be home, he would get to see new ones drawn by Cellach’s hand.

Now while his master and Pangur were resting, Brendan went ahead a bit. He admired the forest around him yet another time, it had lost none of its superb.

“How I missed you.” he whispered looking up.

He could glimpse green eyes and a smile through the branches and leaves.

“I missed you too.” a girl’s voice echoed back, then suddenly arms wrapped around his torso from behind. “You are finally back.”

Brendan blinked and turned around as soon as she let go of him. Aisling’s voice had matured in a second and her hands were bigger! He wondered why he was still surprised when he saw her as the beautiful young woman who appeared to save Kells that dreadful day, but she was unarmed and wore a different attire: a longer gray dress with a blue cape around her shoulders.

“You are so hairy now!” she giggled as she poked his bearded cheek.

“Not as ‘hairy’ as you!” he jested back, touching her long white hair. “You are very beautiful.” he added gently.

“Trying to flatter me?” Aisling smirked and raised an eyebrow before her expression grew soft. “You have changed and yet not. I’m glad.”

Brendan beamed.

They talked a bit, but Brendan needed to go back and fetch Aidan so they would finally arrive to Kells. Aisling made him promise to come back to visit her soon with the Book. He answered her it had been his intention all along.

The moment the gates of Kells appeared before their eyes, at last, Brendan unwillingly started to pick up the pace, he only noticed he had when Aidan laughed and asked to wait for him. They came to a halt to observe to village from afar. The wall had been partly repaired, but it was not as imposing and cold as it had been in the past, there were some openings here and there, surely to let more light in; what actually make it look more welcoming was the fact that was covered in vegetation, as if the forest had come to embrace Kells in its whole. The gates opened as they got closer, and with the sun shining brightly above it, the two monks really felt like the village was opening up its arms to hold them.

A young girl holding a bow in her left hand -and a quiver full of arrows- and holding a boy’s hand with her right one stepped out. She stopped when she saw them. Her wild red hair was very distinctive, Brendan and Aidan recognized her instantly.

“Fiona!”

“Brendan? Brother Aidan!” she cried out and bounced in joy. “You’re back! You’re home!”

She let go of the boy’s hand and her bow to jump at Brendan’s neck, who almost fell backwards with her.

“What?” a male voice exclaimed and Brother Molan, the gatekeeper, appeared. “Oh my! It’s really you!”

The boy looked at all of them confused, staring at Fiona as she let go of Brendan to kiss Aidan’s temple, hugging his neck with more gentleness, but was then distracted by Pangur. Brother Molan ran to hold their hands, very moved to see them again.

“I’m glad to see you again, Brother!” Brendan smiled at his senior, who wiped at his eyes hearing this.

“Fiona, who’s that?” the boy asked, tugging at the girl’s dress.

“Ionatan, they are the monks we all talked so much about!” Fiona grinned, and took him by the shoulders. “You were too small to remember them, especially Brendan! He sometimes took care of us and even played with us, you know!”

“Oh, so this is your little cousin!” Brendan realized and leaned in, smiling at him. “You’ve grown so much since the last time I saw you Ionatan! So did you, Fiona!“

“I could say the same for you!” the gatekeeper noted with a small laugh. “Come in, come in! Everyone has been waiting for you! Abbot Cellach will be happy to see the two of you again!”

The three of them escorted Aidan and Brendan inside the village, the white cat going ahead. When Molan noticed the old illuminator was tired, he offered to take him to the kitchen where he would be warm and could drink and eat something to regain strength. Aidan accepted with gratefulness and turned to his junior:

“Do you mind, Brendan?” he asked, his pet rubbed herself against his shins meanwhile, obviously hoping to get some food too.

“Of course not, Aidan!” he assured him and scratched Pangur behind her ear. “I would like to see Uncle, where is he?”

“He’s working in his room.” Fiona informed, pointing a finger in the tower’s direction.

“Then, we will come and meet with you later, I guess you do not want to climb all those stairs up!” Brendan laughed seeing his master’s expression.

“That would be lovely of you, yes. Please, spare my legs more torment for today!”

“You should go quickly before all our Brothers arrive.” Brother Molan laughed. “Otherwise, you won’t be able to escape them!”

Brendan chuckled and walked towards the tower, waving at them as he did. Despite his impatience, he climbed the stairs at a normal pace. The wooden stairs were stronger than before, he noticed. His eyes clouded shortly as he remembered the way they fell ten years ago, he prayed silently for the lost souls once more before a smile cracked his face, looking at Kells from above as he kept going up. His uncle had really done a lot to improve the life in the village!

The door was open when he reached the top, so he silently made his way into the room. No matter how hard he wanted to make his presence known, Brendan could not help admire everything around him first. The walls and floor were covered once again by chalks drawings –not entirely but still- and in illuminations this time. Entering Uncle Cellach’s room had always felt like stepping into another world, but the strokes that had seemed cold and a bit disturbing had become… luminescent and warm. Brendan’s eyes finally laid on the man, sitting at his desk.  
Cellach had not noticed him yet, he was focused on whatever he was working on and Brendan took the time to observe him. He had got older, and yet, there was something in his pose and gaze that made him look healthier than during the years he had been labouring on the walls; his beard had some white hair in it now, and –what surprised Brendan a lot- he had let his hair grow back, it was kept quite short and –like his beard- was whiten here and there.

“Uncle?” he called at last.

Cellach’s eyes widened and he quickly turned in his direction. His face brightened up as he recognized him and he was immediately on his feet, calling out for him. Brendan opened his arms and as he walked to embrace him.

“I’m home.” he said. “I’m so glad to see you again!”

“So am I. Welcome back.” Cellach breathed in answer, he pulled away a moment after and cupped his nephew’s face with a hand. “Look at you! How much you’ve grown!”

Brendan’s smile widened as his uncle caressed his cheek with his thumb. Then he was asked about Aidan’s whereabouts and the Abbot smiled in relief hearing their old friend was fine, just resting. They stayed a while in the room, talking, Brendan took a closer look at the new drawings inside it, Cellach explained some of them to him. The most beautiful picture stood just above Cellach’s bed, it was Kells fulfilled with people that looked like angels, a beautiful smile on their faces; Brendan recognized some of them and could see his own –only younger- right in the middle, between a woman he did not recognize but who looked like him a lot –his mother obviously- and Fiona’s. Peering around, the young man realized some of the drawings were not drawn by his uncle, the style was different –they were beautiful too, but they were not illumination; he was then revealed that they were created by Fiona’s hand.

“I decided to let people in, each their own way.” Cellach told him and took his hand. “There is still a lot of room for you… if you would like to.”

Brendan hugged him again.

He could not stop smiling when he heard the Abbot had been working in the Scriptorium again, and could not wait to see his works on parchment. But before that…

Brendan opened his satchel and revealed the Book.

“I would like you to be the first to see it, now that I’m back in Kells.

“Don’t you- is it fair that I am?” Cellach asked hesitantly, but deeply moved and touched by the offering.

“Of course it is.” Brendan held it out to him. “Please, look at it.”

Cellach shed a tear when his gaze laid on the Chi Ro page.

* * *

 

Everyone in the Scriptorium who had not yet see it was holding their breath. Brendan and Aidan had been welcomed so warmly and with such excitement shortly before that it made a great contrast.

The Book was put for them all to come and see it.

“The Book of Iona is finally finished.” a Brother exclaimed in a low voice.

“Not of Iona anymore.” Aidan corrected with a smile, and looked up at the man who had been his apprentice, now a master.

“It is the Book of Kells thus.” Brendan announced peacefully.

And the Scriptorium shined brighter.

“Yes, the Book of Kells.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end!
> 
> Or not? Not really! There is so much I wanted to put in each chapter I could write a novel!
> 
> That's why I decided to open a collection as another story, that will contain all the "cutscenes". Everything I had to cut, ellipse or summarized because it would have been much too long, did not move the story forwards... and quite a lot of secondary characters and OCs interactions. Since the story focuses mainly on our main characters, I did not get to developp them as much as I would have liked to.  
> So some of your questions - if you have some! - might be answered in the future there!
> 
> Thank you again for taking the time to read this story, I hope you had some good time.  
> This movie has inspired me so much, expect to see more stories and AU from me in the future, I already have a lot of drafts!
> 
> I wish you all a nice day and more!


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